Half-Wolf Love
by omegafire17
Summary: Yuki always felt a little close to Souhei, after they'd patched things up for her hurting this ear, but finding out that he knows about her deepest secret only encouraged that. Now several years later, it reaches it's peak during winter, when Souhei speaks of their mutual feelings. YukiXSouhei, Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _School library_

 _December 18th_

"8X = 5C + 3X. C is six, so what's X?"

"Six again."

Yuki glanced up, but with a smile, "Why's that?"

Across from her, Souhie tilted his head, looking at the problem. "Well, six-times-five is thirty" he stated, looking back, "Six-times-three equals eighteen... thirty-plus-eighteen equals forty-eight, thus six-times-eight equals forty-eight again."

She hummed a bit, "Honestly, Souhei" Yuki breathed, shaking her head even as she turned the page. "You seem to have a knack for quick calculations, without even having to think."

"Or it's probably just luck" he pointed out.

"Maybe" she admitted. "But I don't think so."

Souhei had a little reaction, but gave a small lip curve. "Well, in either case, we've been at this awhile" he spoke, glancing at their scattered work on the table. "What was that, our fortieth problem?"

"Something like that" Yuki breathed, starting to organize them again. "After the other subjects we went over too."

"In other words, time to take a break" Souhei answered, standing up + stretching, mainly his arms with some back motions. "Get back to our dorms and such, but we'll see each at the fountain?"

"At eight-o-clock, yeah."

"Cool."

The next stretch involved them getting their stuff, as you might expect... though there was a small moment: her mechanical pencil remained on the middle of the table, and she reached for it but so did Souhei. Because his hand moved late, Souhei's realization stopped him just short, hovering an inch above her hand -Yuki meanwhile just froze, heart beating faster when she realized the situation, and she quickly glanced up. Her friend blinked several times at the scene, before looking at her... he seemed strangely unembarrassed, even when he pulled his hand back.

"Uh, sorry about that" he breathed, a little unsure though, "I was trying to, you know, be a gentlemen, but I guess I was too late."

For a moment, Yuki didn't know what to do/say, but then she blinked- "Uh... well, thanks for the thought, Souhei" she breathed back, embarrassed, quickly putting it away. "Guess I was just quicker."

He nodded, before smiling slightly as he gestured toward the door. "That's fine" he assured, starting to walk, where she made sure to catch up.

...

 _Slightly later_

 _Dorm room_

Yeah, she'd played that well enough... but Yuki couldn't deny how it made her feel.

Of course she was used to his style by now; he tended to do things that ended up awkward, on purpose or by accident. Even some of the first things he'd said to her after the incident were 'Wanna see my ear?' and 'Wanna touch it?'- he certainly focused on the most unusual things sometimes. But somehow, Yuki knew there was something else to it, the way they felt about each other... they were friends, but it was more than that. After all, aside from her own family, Souhei was the only one who knew her deepest secret - that of her wolf blood.

On occasion, when he thought it was safe enough, he asked if she could show him.

 _"Why are you so interested?"_

 _"Because it's cute, in the not-weird way."_

Yuki's cheeks heated slightly, before she shook her head; don't have time to think about that right now. She had a few things to get done tonight, before she met up with Souhei - their fountain meetings, as he called them, tended to be about deeper stuff than regular conversations; who knows how long it might go on?

Rummaging around, Yuki soon found a blank piece of paper, taking up her mechanical pencil again.

She began to write:

 _Hey mom, dad_

 _As I'm sure you've already seen, winter is here again with a light layer, just enough to leave everything white. I don't think it'll last long, but soon the heavy stuff will come and it'll stay that way, not that I'll really need to bundle up. Schoolwork is going great, and in fact I've recently been helping Souhei study for math, though it seems he's good already. I think all that exercise in basketball helps keep his mind clear, though he'd still like it if middle school had a weight room, but that's not till high school._

 _I still miss you both, but I'll be home for Christmas soon. So will Souhei, like previous years - we'll do all the real talking there. And here's hoping Ame will give us a howl or two while we're there._

 _Wish me luck - I love you_

 _Yuki_

Holding the paper up, Yuki reread it in her head before smiling; sounded great. It was too late to be delivered through the mail today, but on her regular route tomorrow, she'd drop it off then- she carefully folded it into the envelope, licking it closed (gahh). Still, when she moved to get the stamps, she accidentally dislodged a bunch of other stuff, provoking a sound from her before picking it all up. Among them was a year-old picture from back home: that of mom and dad, both smiling in their own ways, his hand around her waist and her's on his shoulder.

It made her feel warmer, a hand to her heart before she put it away.

 _"They love each other so much."_

She made a sound, just thinking- brief memories of her and Souhei at school these past two years swirled around.

/

 _The school fountain_

 _8:01 PM_

Yuki let out a breath, watching the air condense in front of her, smiling.

The wind was kinda strong, ruffling her red scarf hard yet barely bringing a chill, and she wasn't even wearing a coat. Well, maybe a few others were wired to be cold-resistant, but she had an inner, entirely-natural coat of fur in the most literal sense.

Seconds later, footsteps sounded near her-

-"Sorry I'm late, Yuki" Souhei breathed, slowing to a stop beside her.

She made a sound, but looked up, "It's just a minute after eight; that's not late" she teased.

That got a small chuckle out of him, even as Souhei sat down - and in line with her current thoughts, Yuki noticed how bundled-up he was, even for practicality. Then he glanced over the large space in front of them. between the buildings: she knew it was about the cameras' angles and such, to make sure nothing could see them.

"Still a blind spot between the two buildings, right here" he said, physically pointing them out with a slight smile. "And the camera way across from us is still behind- it's quality is greatly marred by distance, and getting naturally grainy even up close. Not to mention, at this time most students are concerned with finishing homework, or relieving stress from school."

"Your volunteering in the security room sure comes in handy" Yuki breathed.

"Yeah" Souhei answered, looking at her now. "I mean normally it wouldn't be an issue, but on occasion... well you know."

Her cheeks heated slightly, glancing down. "I know you think my wolf side's cute" she whispered, a little shy. "That it's cool, and I'm not really against showing you if no one else can find out. I just- I don't get your exact fascination."

"Why I think all that?" he asked, head tilted, while she nodded. "Ah... well honestly, that's a little personal. I'm not sure I can say it without making a fool of myself."

Yuki briefly brought up a fist, stifling her giggles. "So you won't tell me?" she asked, wondering.

Souhei glanced up, then out in front, still with that little smile. "Naw I will, Yuki" he answered. "Just- it'll take awhile for me to build up to it. Maybe that'll be tonight, or maybe it'll take awhile; I just want to make sure the moment's right. Or maybe it's the mood, for all I know."

The mention of 'mood' made her heart beat faster, as did the mention of 'the right moment'.

He made a sound, glancing back. "Guess it's kinda silly, isn't it?" he asked, mild.

She shook her head, smiling, "No it's fine, Souhei" Yuki assured. "Take all the time you need."

"Hmm" he breathed, his right leg up on the stonework now, one hand upon the knee. "Well anyway, I bet you can guess one of the most talked-about subjects here in school."

"Romance?"

"To put it mildly" he answered, fully looking at her; she got that he's amused. "The guys' competitive tendencies have shifted from each other, to impressing girls in general. I've seen it throughout the basketball team lately."

Yuki just laughed, mostly at the way Souhei said that first part. "Let me guess, you don't see the big deal?" she teased.

Souhei tilted his head again. "No, I get the big deal" he said easily, "I'm just not worried about impressing girls in general. If I wanted to do that - impress someone - I'd rather it be one in particular. It'd be more personal that way."

A moment passed between them then.

"I can't help but agree" Yuki whispered, happy at the thought. "It's kinda the same with me: many girls in our grade are focused on boys too, as was to be expected, yet even still. Mostly noticing them in general, or having crushes on one boy or another... though some wish they'd go through puberty first, either to wise up, or maybe bulk up-"

Souhei just went 'Mmh', understanding.

"-and sorta-stupid stuff like that" she finished, but having to stifle giggles. "It sounds so silly, but it is - I just don't have much interest in it either."

"Yeah. It'd be weird if we did, Yuki."

She unconsciously nodded, before she blinked, registering that. "What was that, Souhei?" she asked, a little unsure.

Souhei continued to look at her, both feet on the ground now. "You heard me the first time, didn't you?" he asked, a little intent.

Recognizing this, Yuki slowly nodded-

"Well, it should say something" he continued gently. "You and me, we're not interested in doing such, even though we should be at our age. Instead we'd both like it if we impressed a single person, one that we care for."

"Yeah, so?"

"So connect the dots, Yuki."

Sh stared at him for a full five seconds... then Yuki gasped a little, heartbeat in her throat briefly, body unconsciously turning toward him. The wind picked up at that moment, whipping at their hair and her scarf, though Souhei barely noticed; he remained intent on her, expression matching.

"If you'd like, I mean" he added, just as gentle.

Hand near her heart, she slowly blinked. "W-What?" she whispered, a little breathless.

Souhei tilted his head, "I think it should be obvious what's going on here, Yuki" he continued slower, even soft. "We've never said it out loud or anything, but there's a certain _something_ there. We've both noticed, maybe been a little embarrassed, but were perfectly fine with it. I believe you must've been thinking about this somewhere, because I know you."

Almost on instinct, a little entranced, Yuki scooted closer - Souhei noticed, but never paused or hesitated as he talked, little smile included. Soon she was about a foot away... it was around then Souhei finished his last sentence, just looking at her before glancing down and slightly to the right. She did the same and saw her hand twitching, almost as if to- his hand moved then and took her wrist, to her little sound when he brought it up. Held between them now, Souhei looked between her and their hands, but his lip curved, "Yuki?"

"Yes?" she whispered, heart pounding.

"I think we both want this, though I could be wrong" he breathed, mouth twitching, briefly glancing at their hands again. "I'm just not sure whether it's the right time. If we're too young, would rather wait - are you thinking anything like that? If you are, I'd still be willing to wait and-"

Souhei trailed off as her hand moved... then he hitched, her fingers brushing against his cheek.

Yuki felt shaky inside, reflected in her movements (which he noticed), but also strangely calm; must be her beating heart. Both hands touched his cheeks, lingering a little before moving down, going over his shoulder-blades. Getting the idea, Souhei raised his hand too, hesitating once before touching her own cheek as well- the warmth made her hitch in the good way. Their breath visible in the cold air, Souhei's hand moved in circles, making her feel even warmer before both moved to her sides - very confidently too; barely any hitch at all.

"Souhei, you're sure about this?" Yuki breathed, trembling a bit before it passed.

His lip twitched, but he nodded. "It is my first kiss, I can't deny that" he whispered, slowly moving forward - but he'd leaned his forehead against hers, their breath hot (and visible). "And maybe it's sorta a big deal... but I can't think of anyone else I'd rather give it to."

"M-Me either" she whispered softly, making a sound. "I'm just... I'm nervous."

"You think you're the only one?"

Yuki shook her head.

"Good, as I am too... I guess I just don't show it as much."

Eyes half-closed, she giggled a little; it helped her feel better. "You tend not to anyway-"

"But I still feel it" Souhei whispered intently, even closer. "Here, I'll show you."

Before she could say anything, he took her hand by the wrist again and touched it to his chest. She hitched at the small thumping beneath her hand, through several layers of clothing - it beat steadily, fast, a hammer on the inside of his rib-cage. Yuki wondered for a bit, before looking at Souhei; up-close, his intent gaze was all she could see, though the wind moved his hair (and hers). His breath was visible when he sighed, nervous, but staying close, "Yuki, I-" he whispered.

Whatever he was going to say, she might never know, as he stopped when she moved even closer.

Yuki kissed him.

To his credit, Souhei didn't freeze at all; his hands quickly moved to her back, holding her tightly. He only made small movements in their kiss, completely gentle, but the warmth felt so _right_ to Yuki- of course she returned it in the same way. Five (maybe ten) seconds passed before she pulled back, panting slightly, still feeling his heartbeat under her fingers... a-and his warm breath too. They looked at each other, where she soon blushed at the warmth, and he slowly smiled again- however, she soon noticed his ears turning a shade of red.

That made her jolt; never seen that before.

"Wow" Souhei whispered, sounding breathless too. "Yuki, uh-" he continued before moving a bit, looking at their hands. They were just as they'd left them, until he hesitantly touched her fingers, glancing at her.

Yuki slowly took his hand, though she couldn't stop a momentary hitch. "Do you know your ears are red?" she mumbled shyly, even as their fingers worked, making her feel even warmer.

He blinked, raising a hand, brushing over the scars of his right ear for a bit. "That- that could just be the cold" he breathed, unsure.

"They weren't red before..."

That small statement made him glance away, and the red turned a darker shade. "Oh."

Despite herself, Yuki giggled at the sight of an embarrassed Souhei- his brow furrowed, but his lip curved as he glanced at her, knowing she wasn't being mean. "Honestly" he breathed, a little exasperated, adding his other hand to theirs, "Come on, Yuki, it's not _that_ funny."

She couldn't help it; his denial just made it cuter.

Her giggling continued until Souhei decided to stop her, via kissing her again - brief as the touch was, Yuki gasped, feeling another rush of warmth.

His ears seemed to stay red, but his expression worked like usual, really close. "Sorry, I just- felt like doing that" Souhei told her.

She looked at him a moment, heart beating fast. "I-I didn't really mind, Souhei; just surprised" Yuki whispered, slowly looking at their hands.

"Hmm."

She drew a hand back then, fingering a few strands of her hair- Souhei just seemed to watch this, before: "Souhei?"

He looked at her, head tilted.

"What you said earlier" Yuki breathed, "about why you're so fascinated with my other form..."

He blinked, mouth opening a little, before he looked down at their hands - he seemed to be thinking, as it took him a few seconds. "Yeah, I said that, Yuki" he admitted, moving his thumb against her palm. "You're wondering if the reason why I'm so fixated on it is because... well, that I like it that much?"

"Do you?" she asked, a little shy again.

He tried to answer, but his mouth would only twitch... she saw his ears turn red again, before he almost pointedly glanced away, as if aware of this.

Yuki just hummed a little, both of them knowing his silence answered her question anyway- seconds later, she hesitantly turned his head toward her, much to his surprise. Smiling, she leaned forward with half-closed eyes, which Souhei quickly prepared for - he was exceedingly gentle and never moved without thinking in their next kiss (which helped the awkwardness, but it was charming). Seconds after she started it, she slowly reached deep inside of herself; her nose shrunk backward, little sharp teeth grew in, and wolf ears popped out of her hair. When Souhei seemed to pause, feeling hints of this, she pulled back- he opened his eyes then, before he breathed out at the sight of her like this. In fact, he seemed even a little mesmerized...

"Woah" he whispered softly.

Another rush of warmth went through her, grip tightening a little while Souhei had a mini-reaction to his own word.

She was glad though: "Oh, Souhei- thank you."

Just like that, Yuki leaned forward, but this time to hug him tightly- he jolted before quickly returning it, a comforting presence against her. She stirred, still a little shy but happy - part of her thought Souhei must feel the same, even if he didn't look the part. And this continued as he hesitantly touched the tips of her hair, fingers slow, looking for signs that it wasn't okay. Yuki felt shyer but let him, and eventually he threaded through small portions, which was strangely hypnotic. He circled upward as he went about this affection, before she raised a hand and covered his own-

-he paused, no doubt wondering if she wanted him to stop (but far from it).

"You're going toward my other ears, aren't you?" she asked, shy but willing.

Souhei slowly nodded, lip curving. "Is that okay, Yuki?" he whispered gently, intent on her expression for hints.

In answer, Yuki slowly brought his hand up, and pressed his fingers a mere inch from her left wolf ear. He quickly glanced at her, and she nodded before he looked back - slowly, very careful, Souhei moved his hand. The ear moved underneath his fingertips, fur soft to his hand but a different quality from her hair, which he seemed quite interested in. The entire time, her cheeks were red and she was distractedly moving Souhei's free hand while he did this, their eyes connecting very often in the process. The heat in her cheeks intensified when he got slightly bolder, stroking her ear up-and-down, even if somewhat experimentally-

"You're really gonna enjoy that, aren't you?" Yuki whispered, surprising him a bit.

"Well yeah" Souhei stated, before his lip curved again. "They are cute-" he added, slowly removing his other hand, which tapped her pointed teeth (she was really surprised), "-but then again, so are these."

The heat intensified again, fingers brushing against her teeth. "D-Don't tell me my nose too-"

"Well it is."

At that, she reached a sort-of peak; Yuki quickly turned away, embarrassed, while her wolf ears/nose/teeth disappeared. Her cheeks remained red, breathing slightly heavier, before she glanced at him-

-he drew back, feeling he'd done it now. "Too much?" Souhei asked, fainter, "I mean, too soon? I didn't mean to overwhelm you, Yuki."

"I-It's not that" she mumbled, which seemed to relieve him. "I'm just really glad."

He quickly noticed when she took his hands again, if hesitant - her cheeks were still red, but she managed a smile. "It was sweet, Souhei" Yuki admitted, soft.

He struggled a bit, trying to consciously keep his ears from heating up (it looked like that, at least), but squeezed her hands back. "Maybe, but it's also true" he said honestly, "You know me, Yuki; I'm a straightforward guy."

Yuki slowly scooted closer again, bumping his shoulder on the fountain stonework. "I know" she whispered gently, eyes half-closing as she leaned in, still rather hesitant; he met her kiss in almost the same way, but they stayed that way for a little while.

...

 _Outside dorm room_

"I wish you could stay longer, Souhei" Yuki admitted, before jolting, glancing at her room. "No, I- I didn't mean-"

He just chuckled. "Don't worry about that, Yuki" he breathed gently, unfazed. "Even knowing each other for years, this is only the first night we've been 'together'."

"Yeah" she agreed, relieved.

Souhei lingered a little, before he stepped closer, "Take care" he whispered, brushing their hands together.

Yuki stepped closer too, heart beating faster, but closing her eyes. "You too" she breathed, feeling his breath against her mouth - it was embarrassing, but it was- i-it was really good too - they kissed, slow and gentle but it didn't last long; they were in public, kinda.

"Tomorrow though, how will you tell Shino and the others?" Souhei whispered to her, almost immediately after the kiss.

She took a moment on that. "Well, uh..."

His lip curved. "Want me to just kiss you in front of them?" he asked, as easily as one might discuss the weather-

-but her cheeks heated. "Souhei!"

"Hehe, just an idea, Yuki."

"Yeah well, if you think about doing that anyway, even if I say no-"

"So that _isn't_ a no?"

Yuki's mouth twisted; Souhei's straightforward approach definitely had it's appeals, but it also got everything straight to-the-point. "I didn't say that" she mumbled for a bit, shaking her head. "And either way, I don't know right now, Souhei; I need to think."

Souhei nodded, before leaning in for another kiss- she was a bit late in returning it. "Well, they should be thrilled anyway" he whispered. "Goodnight, Yuki."

"Mmh. Goodnight, Souhei."

After a moment, he then moved off with what seemed a small effort- he wasn't alone in that, for she watched him go for a bit, before truly going to bed.

* * *

 **Well, these two were pretty implied overall, so it's only natural that they get together :) Though of course, there's more moments to explore than just the first kiss**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _December 25th_

 _Outside school_

Souhei observed his math test from before, seeing that he'd gotten an A-, just a literally-hairline percentage under a pure A. His lip curved, seeing he'd done well on everything except the few advanced questions in the middle, so maybe he should get Yuki to focus on those next time.

Speaking of whom though-

"Come on, Yuki, even you know you're glowing."

Shino, talking with her best friend - he glanced that way, both of them sitting near the fountain. Yuki appeared distinctively shy and embarrassed, mumbling something he didn't catch properly, but slowly took to mean 'we're dating, not _that_ close.'

 _"It'd be odd if we were"_ Souhei reflected, though that's the only thought he gave; didn't want to imagine inappropriate things about Yuki. _"Still, Shino's talking about how happy Yuki is in context. Can't say that I mind."_

When he'd mentioned how happy she was, Yuki replied that he should've seen her as a kid - he wondered, trying to imagine her as a high-energy cheerful bundle, if that's what she meant.

Hmm...

Coming back to himself, Shino was saying something about him now, apparently at how he's been even more active at basketball, as if full of energy. Yuki replied to that, saying he's always been good at it, but now wants to make sure he impresses her (if said a little teasingly) - packing the test into his backpack now, he smiled at the mention of that.

 _"Heh, good to know she watches me that closely. It's comforting."_

Seconds later, Souhei moved his backpack around, before moving toward Yuki- she saw him after a sec, and her look turned Shino around. He looked at them both, before his lip curved a little: "Come on, Shino" he admonished, very mild, "Stop teasing Yuki."

She laughed, but her smile was knowing. "Well, she's gonna be gone for awhile; I have to get it in now while I can."

"Apparently you can't resist" Yuki breathed, slightly exasperated, but also knowing as she stood up. "Still, it's only Christmas break; I'll be back before you know it, Shino."

"I know. Still, me and the other girls are already talking about an after-Christmas party, as a kinda 'welcome back' type of thing. Think you'd like to come, Yuki?"

"Of course I would. Probably Souhei too, if he's interested."

He merely observed the two friends before his thoughts drifted, thinking of what Yuki could become, though he didn't get so caught up that he's 'out of it'. A smile tugged at his lip as he remembered her other form, how it changed her - a little bit beastly, holding back from becoming a full wolf. She's cute normally, but those features lent her a mysterious quality that he found appealing, wanting to know more. He briefly wondered what she'd look like as a full wolf... but part of him felt unsure, knowing that she wanted to be human.

Maybe he should ask one day, if the right situation comes up; it bothered him, being unsure for too long - but whatever Yuki's answer was, of course he'd respect it.

"Bye, Shino. Merry Christmas." - "Bye bye, Yuki. Merry Christmas."

About his cue there, so Souhei brought himself back to full awareness, seeing the two friends hugging. He remained standing as Shino pulled back, giving him a little wink (he playfully rolled his eyes, even as Yuki had a mini-reaction of embarrassment), before she took their leave of them-

-Yuki then turned toward him. "I'm glad Shino knows we're leaving soon" she breathed, moving her own backpack. "Otherwise that might have taken longer."

"You could've handled it" he answered, Yuki nodding as they started to walk. "I didn't mind waiting; I had plenty of thoughts to keep me occupied."

"Like what?" she asked, curious.

"Imagining your kid self, for one" he continued, seeing her surprised, which he sorta-liked. "I don't mind how happy you are now, because of 'us' or otherwise, but it's kinda hard to imagine you being even moreso."

Her cheeks briefly turned pink, but her hands came together as they walked. "If you'd met me back then, Souhei, you wouldn't say that" she said, very gentle. "Honestly, I was almost a different person as a kid."

As she spoke, he tried to imagine it, but only partly succeeded- mmh. "Well, I like who you are Yuki" he answered, just as gentle. Her cheeks reddened slightly out of shyness, which combined with the smile was a cute image.

"Thanks, Souhei."

Despite knowing they were in public, he extended his hand and took Yuki's- despite her hitch and the surprise, she returned the grip.

...

 _A little later_

"There they are" Yuki breathed, more animated.

He quickly looked over; yup, that's them - he smiled, tapping her back. "Go on then" he urged, assuring her, "I'll follow behind you, just slower."

Her surprise lasted a second before she smiled playfully, which confused him- until she grabbed his arm, and grinned a little. "Not this time" she told him, before literally dragging him forward, though he only briefly stumbled.

"Seriously?" Souhei asked; Yuki didn't respond.

Heh, well okay then.

As they approached, Yuki's parents got out quickly- they looked just as he remembered, though wearing different clothes. And in that moment, he remembered the various times he'd interacted with them, mainly the visits with Yuki in recent years, but also vividly remembering that day when Ame had left.

"Mom! Dad!"

Souhei wasn't surprised when Yuki suddenly stopped pulling him, leaving him some feet away - first thing she did was give her mom a hug, which lasted a good while ("Oh mom, I've missed you." - "Yuki, oh, it's so good to see you too."). Yuki's dad was letting the two have their moment, but with a touching smile- he glanced over, and Souhei nodded back respectively, coming over with slow steps.

"Souhei" Balto greeted, with that little smile of his. "Glad you could join us."

"Of course" he said easily. "Yuki's been looking forward to this for awhile, as I know you have."

Balto glanced toward the two girls then-

-Hana had a hand near Yuki's forehead, humming a bit as she stepped back. "I swear you've grown half-an-inch since last I saw you, Yuki" she said, a mix of happy and proud. "You might even end up as tall as your father."

"Maybe" Yuki breathed, but also happy. "Though, Souhei will probably be taller than me - he's bound to get some growth spurts any day now."

True enough, Souhei mused, but he also has to make sure puberty doesn't change him too much. _"Raging hormones wouldn't be too much trouble, sorta"_ he thought. _"I'd just hate to lose this confidence, or worse, have it become arrogant."_

At the same time, Yuki went to hug her father, who easily returned the favor. Souhei saw this after a moment, glad for it, before he found Hana standing beside him now - she was similarly glad at the sight, before looking at him. "Been treating my daughter right, Souhei?" she asked, slightly teasing.

Recognizing this, he gave a friendly smirk. "Of course I have, ma'am" he answered, just as easily, "Yuki's been great, and it's nice to see her this happy. Still, I'm looking forward to your family's home cooking; it's always so fresh."

* * *

 _Later_

Souhei had to admit, he's still a little jealous of how loving this family was - but despite that, he's happy for them, and internally glad to receive the same treatment of course. It's refreshing being a friend of the family, and slightly more than that once the secret's out - still, he isn't worried about Yuki not telling them; they're still in the middle of catching up.

Eventually they got up a hill, right to that country home of theirs.

"I'm gonna go get lunch made for us."

"Go for it, Hana."

She gave Balto a little cheek kiss, hurrying inside while he lingered, turning toward them. "Knowing your mom, she's probably gonna make a mini-feast celebrating your arrival" he said to them, teasing. "Just like always."

Beside him, Yuki hummed. "Hopefully it'll all fit on the table, dad" she teased back-

-her dad just smiled, before looking at them. "And something tells me you'll wanna sit together" he continued, still teasing, but there was another look in his eyes.

"Why's that, sir?" Souhei asked.

"Come on, you think I can't smell you two?"

Smell? But they'd showered today, and while it had been a two-and-a-half hour drive, it hadn't been sweltering or anything inside - if anything, they should still be 'normal' in smell, because nothing big had happened-

-unless... his scent, and Yuki's, unique to them and probably underlying everything about them, were 'sorta' all over each other via kissing/hand-holding/small stuff like that.

Oh.

Beside him, at nearly the same time, Yuki grasped the implications faster, gasping a little.

Balto kept the smile, a little cheeky now, eyes seeming to twinkle. "Relax" he said mildly, gesturing with his hand. "We saw the signs years ago, and this isn't a surprise; more of a happy announcement, once you actually get around to it."

Souhei had to struggle not to let his ears heat up, despite being relieved - Yuki was similarly affected: surprised, relieved, embarrassed (via pinker cheeks), but also a little happiness that their parents were accepting. And don't get him wrong, he felt the same way on that too.

"Come on" Balto called, still mild, humming to himself as he walked inside; they looked at each other before quickly doing so.

...

Overall, the tease had been partly serious; Hana laid a little feast on this four-way table this time, almost pushing the bounds. He'd been quite eager to dig in; a lot of good stuff, and they tasted great as usual, so fresh and rich in flavors that store-bought stuff just didn't have as much of. When he asked if that's the work of their growing crops - having 'suspected' it the last few times - Yuki quickly said it's true, and that homegrown food tasted even better. Souhei couldn't disagree for the life of him - he wondered though if this meat was store-bought, or hunted, something he realized he'd never asked about before. Then after a moment, decided that he wouldn't care; whichever it was, it's good, and part of him said that hunted meat seemed to be a norm for half-wolves.

He didn't exactly mind the thought himself either, even if that is what he's eating.

"Souhei, can you pass me that fruit?" Yuki asked.

He easily reached, giving it to her with a little smile, which she returned.

"So, how long have you two been a thing?"

Both of them practically froze, or rather hitched... then almost of one mind, they looked at Balto-

-who raised his hands, smiling like usual. "I didn't say anything" he answered mildly.

Hana laughed. "He didn't need to" she said teasingly, touching Balto's shoulder. "After all, I can see hints as well as the next person."

Wow, this family's quite something - not only the whole half-wolf angle, their apparent strength-of-character, the earned-skill at growing crops for her parents, but also reading people? _"Heh, it's kinda crazy"_ Souhei thought to himself, lip curving, _"but compared to my family, that craziness is something to behold, and admirable."_

Beside him: "W-Well, only a week" Yuki admitted, embarrassed again, but relieved that it's out now. "I mean, I think we've had feelings for awhile, but only recently have we done anything."

Hearing this, Souhei took her hand, which surprised Yuki.

"We don't do this much in public of course" he added, but smiling. "But still we're gentle, and all that stuff."

"S-Souhei!"

"What? It's true, even if we haven't done much."

Yuki opened her mouth, briefly stalled under her parents slight semi-stiflied laughter, cheeks pinker before looking back at him. "You don't have to be so forward about the details" she said quickly. "And besides, I'm sure they already knew that."

"Even still, I wanted to assure them, Yuki" Souhei answered, squeezing her hand. "After all, I may have their approval but I can't take it for granted."

She seemed to struggle a little, then quickly turned back to her food, not answering.

He made a sound, but going 'what can I do?' to her parents. "Well apparently she's not gonna talk to me, now that I've embarrassed her" he said mildly, before being pushed by Yuki's elbow; of course it's an act, but then again so was his a little.

Either way, her parents were laughing at the playful display, even if they struggled to make that internally-only.

After that, the subject changed, going along other details so that Yuki gradually returned to normal. He didn't mind, even as he continued eating this good meat - he thought again that it might be animal-based, insofar as hunted animals rather than farm ones, before he slowly thought that _maybe_ it wasn't. After all, if Yuki just wanted to be a regular human, then she might _mind_ eating animal meat (kinds that weren't already distributed anyway), and that her parents would know this. Unless he's wrong about that, and she didn't mind eating unusual animal meats, in which case it wasn't an issue- but should he bring it up?

Nah, because if it's an issue - if this meat is animal meat, and Yuki realizes this - that's not gonna be pretty. A fair number of 'if's', but he's not gonna take that chance, not while in earshot of her.

"Oh. Dad, what is this meat?"

Surprised, Souhei looked first at Yuki, then at her father.

Balto hummed. "Well, the meat your mother and I are eating, I think that's the leftover rabbit meat" he breathed, briefly looking at Hana, who nodded. "However, both of yours is store-bought, because we weren't sure how Souhei might react to it."

Yuki slowly smiled, eating a few pieces of fruit, "And to make sure I'd be fine too?" she added. "Well, I admit I haven't had such meats in awhile - I still remember hunting them though, a long time ago."

Still in surprise, Souhei tilted his head. "Does that mean you wouldn't mind, Yuki?" he asked, curious.

"More like if given the choice, I'd prefer store meat" she admitted, glancing at him, but with a little smile. "However, I wouldn't _really_ mind otherwise; it's not like I hate the difference in taste, particularly if there's little choice."

Hmm- well guess that answered that.

Souhei smiled back, nodding. "Well, my answer?" he stated, drawing attention that way. "I think it'd be interesting to try them all; I don't find the thought inherently revolting or anything."

Balto made an interested sound. "Well Souhei, perhaps tomorrow we can put that to the test" he said, approving.

"It was about time for you to hunt again" Hana teased to her husband, and with such familiarity that Souhei felt he's right; hunting was considered normal with this family - Yuki's smile also told him that while it'd physically fallen out of practice for her, it wasn't surprising either. "Though of course you'll have to avoid the mountain."

"Duh. Otherwise Ame wouldn't be too thrilled."

Yuki made a sound. "Speaking of Ame, is he coming dad?" she asked, intent on the answer.

"Based upon the answer I've gotten before, not today; busy" he said easily. "However, he'll have time between tomorrow and the two days after that, so they'll both come somewhere around then. It'll be a late Christmas celebration, but we'll wait."

She visibly got more excited. "Good. I'll be glad to see my brother again."

Souhei was interested; while he didn't know much about her brother, he'd like the chance to get to meet him, since the last times they'd apparently missed him. Admittedly he's also somewhat confused about the how-he-left details, though he's _pretty_ sure that part involved some wolf aspects, concerning his age... then he blinked as he realized something.

"'They'?" he questioned, slightly confused.

Hana smiled. "Ame and a she-wolf, a grey timber breed that we set free from the nearby Nekowan Nature Center, after she decided that the wild was more interesting than captivity" she answered, which really surprised him. "She relearned her basic wild instincts under Balto, before going to learn from Ame, because he has a much better grasp on the advanced stuff."

Souhei glanced at Balto, who wasn't one bit surprised. "Does she have a name?"

"Not when I was teaching her" Balto admitted, sheepishly shrugging. "She wasn't interested in discussing it, even if she had one. Maybe Ame learned it, but we'll see."

"And, are they together?" Yuki asked hesitantly, further surprising him.

Her parents looked at each other, then shrugged their shoulders. "We have no doubt it's a possibility, but we simply don't know, Yuki" Hana answered simply, but content. "At least yet."

...

 _Later that night_

"Think you'll be okay, Souhei?" Yuki asked, a little worried. "I mean, I believe you've always slept on a bed before?"

He slowly tilted his head, but nodding. "Yeah, I have" he answered, but light, looking over the bed-spread, "So this will definitely be a new experience, but I don't really mind having to sleep on a bed-spread."

She was relieved, before touching a hand to her hair, which she began to play with. "I-I'm just surprised mom and dad are letting us sleep near each other" she mumbled. "I know neither of us will do anything, but still."

Souhei just gave a little smile, taking her free hand. "Well, I think it's because of your dad's hearing" he breathed, sincere. "From what I've gathered, he can hear sounds from the other side of the house, just as easily as from a foot away."

Yuki slowly smiled back, nodding. "Even farther than that, actually" she whispered, gentle. "But I get what you mean; we don't have the privacy to do anything besides small stuff, even if we wanted to."

"And I don't want to" he answered, without hesitation. "It's too early for such things, to say the least. The small stuff are quite enough for awhile."

Her cheeks turned pink, but she slowly leaned toward him- he easily kissed her back, and it lasted a good while.

"I-It probably helps that- that my parents are cool with us" she whispered to him, very soft. "They were always cool, about a lot of things I mean."

"I quite like it myself" Souhei answered gently, before he kissed Yuki again, twice. "Goodnight, Yuki."

"Goodnight, Souhei."

After that, he pulled apart from Yuki, slowly laying in his bed-spread - had to admit, it's quite similar to a sleeping bag, but he'd never gone camping. Still, this was gonna be quite something- but with Yuki nearby, he felt content and slowly closed his eyes.

* * *

 **Even though they're fourteen, Yuki and Souhei have proven they're definitely a bit more grown-up, mentally. So while physically nothing is gonna change, they're able to talk about things that others wouldn't- it's kinda refreshing, hehe**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _December 26th_

Yuki slowly breathed in, feeling the cool air wash over her body - it was good to be home again, surrounded by all this nature. The view itself was great too, moving from the forest on one side, to that of the mountain where Ame 'ruled' as it's Guardian on the other. The thought made her smile a bit: by-and-large she wanted to be human, but a part of her would always have such thoughts, desires, and likes; it's in her blood after all. Beside her, Souhei breathed into his hands once, all of it condensing in the air but mostly admiring things as she was, if considerably more bundled up.

"Are you envious, Souhei?" she asked, but gentle, remembering how he'd said similar regarding her parent's teasing.

He glanced at her once, but mainly kept looking out at the view. "A little, Yuki" he admitted, smiling. "I wish I'd had the chance to experience stuff like this growing up. I can't change the past of course, but I can stand here and be glad to experience it now, rather than focus on what might-have-been."

"That's a great way of looking at it" Yuki admitted, happy for him.

Souhei faced her then, where she slowly did the same. "It's something I learned on my own" he breathed. "I think the unwavering confidence came from mom, but the rest seemed to just happen... but I knew that I didn't like who mom was, or how she used that confidence."

"And you couldn't tell her that" she whispered, but closer, slowly touching his shoulder. "If nothing else, she was your mother."

He put his hand over hers, never looking away. "Yeah" Souhei whispered, glancing at this. "But it made me who I am today, and that's enough."

"Yeah" Yuki breathed. "Even with all that confidence, you're quite considerate."

He held her closer without hesitation- she hitched from surprise, but soon didn't mind very much.

"I want to be, Yuki" he breathed to her, gentle. "The one time I forgot myself, I got what was coming to me."

Yuki made a sound, slowly moving her free hand up to his right ear- even now the scars remained visible, and it didn't look like that's ever gonna change.

Souhei's other hand covered her's, quickly drawing her attention to his smile. "Don't feel too bad" he whispered, breath visible in the air. "Like I said, it was my fault and I deserved it; it's done. And besides, they look cool, don't you think?"

After a few seconds, she let out a breath. "I want to disagree, but-"

A chuckle was his only answer... he leaned even closer, making her heart beat faster, but Yuki soon did the same. His gentle touch combined with the hug slowly swept her worry away; Souhei didn't hold it against her, even though he'd have good reason to. The kiss lasted a fair while, enough that her cheeks heated up, especially on a moment that she tried to pull away, but Souhei didn't let her for a few more seconds. Still, when they did pull apart, she felt less embarrassed when she saw Souhei's red ears (despite his little smile), deciding not to mention that this time.

"Well" Yuki whispered shyly, but happy. "If- if we stay out here too long, my parents might wonder."

He nodded, slowly letting go of her. "Okay" he said, a little mild, which confused her until: "Race you back!"

Yuki stood there stunned for a moment, before jolting, quickly turning. "Souhei!" she called after him, quickly running. "Wait for me! That wasn't fair!"

"Ahaha!"

...

The race itself was close: Souhei's natural training and exercise with the basketball team meant he's fit, that he's used to exertion, whereas she had a wolf's breath control (or so she later learned) in addition to similar exercise in sports. It'd taken her a stretch to catch up to this head-start, but soon they were evenly matched, before she _juuuust_ managed to win by the space of a foot.

Panting a little, Yuki nonetheless packed up some snow while Souhei wasn't looking.

"Wow... hah, that was pretty good" he breathed, leaning against the side of the house. "I thought you might win, but- but I didn't know how well I could keep up in a race; we never tested that."

After catching her breath, she straightened up, feeling the winter air cooling off her sweat. "You did well though" she told him sincerely, proud of his fit status, before she moved her arm slightly-

 _Splat_

Souhei staggered a little, quite surprised as he stared at her- Yuki just grinned, whereas he blinked... then laughed, hard. It went on long enough that she became surprised; he wasn't even a little irritated?

"Well, you were the winner; guess you had the right to throw one" he said mildly, giving off a cheeky smile. "That could be our thing if you'd like. The winner of something gets the right to tease the other, which sounds good to me."

Yuki raised a hand when he turned, going inside without another glance, then pouted; he's supposed to have fought back!

Letting out a breath, she quickly moved after him, closing the sliding door behind her while Souhei took off his various winter layers. She slowly did the same with her lighter coat- just as she did however, Yuki thought she heard mom in the living room, whispering to herself. Glancing over the threshold, it was true: mom's seated at the table, writing stuff down as she mouthed sentences, repeatedly glancing at something else as well. She looked for a few seconds, curious to what mom's doing before she found Souhei had noticed her interest, leaning over a bit. Yuki slowly shrugged her shoulders, as she wasn't entirely sure either-

"I can see you two over there."

They both jumped a little, startled to see mom looking at them, tone and smile entirely mild.

"You scared us, mom" Yuki breathed, but laughing a little.

Souhei glanced at her, lip curved, "That's a little much."

She ignored that: "We thought you were too focused on- on whatever you were doing" Yuki continued, slowly walking inside.

Mom just laughed, but invited them to sit down - as they did, Yuki quickly noted two open booklets, but one seemed to be in the process of finishing up, which Souhei noted as well. "In case you're wondering, Yuki, Souhei" mom stated, drawing a hand over the pages. "These two booklets are a project between Balto and me, regarding all the details that came with raising half-wolves."

Yuki hitched a little. "Really?" she asked, surprised. "But why now?"

Mom looked at the booklets, smile soft. "Well, it's true we both know all this stuff, but we're not the ones they're for" she stated, further the feeling of surprise. "After all, who knows what the future will be like?"

Souhei leaned forward a bit. "You mean that you'll give one to Yuki, and the other to Ame?" he asked, seemingly intent. "Just in case?"

Mom nodded. "Yeah, just in case, Souhei. But don't take this as me teasing or hinting anything, because I'm not."

Despite that, Yuki found her heart racing at the implications, and she glanced away - still being a teenager, thoughts about 'that' kind of thing were still embarrassing and far-off, but also a possibility despite the 'not hinting/teasing' angle. Luckily though, she had another thought when she registered mom's tone; by the sound of it, these two booklets were new but the _idea_ wasn't... then she thought about dad, who'd been born a half-wolf too. No doubt some of this knowledge came from him, and the rest were from their own experiences raising her and Ame, but why had the idea of writing things down taken this long? Unless- unless these two booklets were just the 'improved' versions, and dad had written down the first stuff in another, based upon his experiences growing up.

She felt she had so many questions right then-

"Did you always have this knowledge, ma'am?"

"Not all of it, no, but we did have a fair bit; it helped a bunch, I can tell you that, Souhei. These improved booklets should help even more."

Coming back to herself, Yuki opened her mouth, though she didn't know what she might've asked...

Just then, the sliding door opened by itself, before they heard small thumps and little clacks of claws-on-stone - just as they looked, they saw Balto move inside, various animals hanging from his muzzle. Not having seen her dad as a wolf for a few years, Yuki had briefly jolted, but soon smiled at the sight- she'd forgotten how strong he looked, even if he's a nice person at heart.

"Got us today's dinner" he said to them, though the words were muffled/distorted through the hanging prey.

"Just make sure to put them in the freezer" mom answered, slowly digging through her clothes. "And while you're at it, check the fridge, and if you see anything else you want to add to the list-"

"Got it, Hana."

"You're going shopping soon?" Souhei asked, Yuki jolting-

"Yup, as we do need a few things."

"Can I come?"

Mom was surprised, but soon smiled. "Of course, Yuki; I'd love to catch up, just the two of us."

"Me too" she answered, sincere but also glad; now she'd have a good chance to properly ask. However, when she saw Souhei giving her a questioning gaze, she took his hand and squeezed it- he glanced at this and her expression, before slowly getting the message.

"Hope you don't mind, Souhei" Yuki breathed.

He just waved his free hand. "Nah, it's only a few hours, Yuki" he said mildly, "I'll survive without you for that long."

She giggled, a little shy but also warm, just as mom (and dad, from the other room) laughed.

/

"-and Shino's doing well, just like the other girls."

"Well I'm glad for them, Yuki. But a few of those stories make me wanna laugh."

Yuki made a sound, not surprised; she's like dad that way, in that they loved her with all their heart, but they weren't above the 'occasional' teasing. "Of course you are" she teased back. "But mom, you and dad are okay right? I mean, work's still going good at the nature center?"

Mom smiled, nodding even as they walked through the center of town - occasionally they had to answer a call from neighbors, mainly about her since it'd been awhile and she'd grown, but the conversation continued of course. "The employees are still sad that the wolf 'mysteriously' escaped of course, but the main draw of the building was the nature angle of course. Thus far, the budget is still shoe-string, but there is talk that a company wants to add them to it's holdings - if true, depending on the deal and changes made, it could be expanded upon."

"Hey that's great news!"

That's all they had time to say before, turning the corner to the shop, someone nearly ran into them- Yuki needed a moment, but soon recognized her as Mrs. Nirasaki, and she looked to be in a hurry.

"Whoops, sorry about that, Hana" the older woman quickly breathed, before catching sight of her. "Yuki! Nice to see you again; I swear you've grown since last year."

"She has" mom added, a touch of proud in there. "Next year, she'll probably be as tall as her father."

"Mom!" Yuki protested, slightly embarrassed.

Both of them simply laughed, even as she pouted a little - Mrs. Nirasaki couldn't stay long, but before she left, she did say how good it was to see them again. After that, of course she and mom focused on shopping, so their conversation stalled a bit... least until they were in the car, driving back home.

Her heart was pounding a little, and maybe a hint of this nervousness showed to mom, who glanced at her for a bit. "Is there something you want to say, Yuki?" she asked, not really worried, but sensing there's more.

"More like, I just want us to stop for a little" Yuki admitted, but glad. "My questions are kinda heavy, mom, and it might become a long conversation; I don't wanna be interrupted when we get home."

Getting an idea, mom nodded, slowing down the car until they happened upon a bare patch on the side of the road, where she soon put the thing in park and turned it off. Yuki waited a little after that, before: "This sounds kinda small, but I'm curious about the story behind that booklet idea" she admitted, looking at mom- then she jolted.

Mom's expression flickered, and she held a hand to her heart, before a small smile unconsciously appeared.

Yuki felt her heart pounding - she'd seen that smile before: only when mom was sad, but didn't want them to worry. There's something more to this story, something that affected her ever after this long...

"I had many questions, Yuki" she breathed, tone a little faraway. "I didn't know how to raise a half-wolf, and while your father had the knowledge he learned from his parents, it didn't cover everything. We had to make stuff up for when you and Ame were newborns, and less so as young toddlers, but he intended to fill up a booklet overtime. He'd planned to start when you were both a few years old..."

Mom's voice dropped to a whisper.

"...until a near-death experience changed that."

What!?

At that exact moment, Yuki unconsciously remembered t-the day Ame nearly drowned. She'd been fully prepared to jump in a small panic, but dad's yell shook her to the core, even to this day; she'd _never_ heard him that scared, desperate, or even that _volume_ before (he'd raised his voice, rarely, but never to that degree). After that was a blur, scared and horrified by what's happening, but the reality that Ame was okay didn't sink in until later... she could only stare at her brother after dad had saved him. Only when dad croaked for her to help him get to Ame, to mom, did she vaguely get out of that state for a short time... but after that was a bit of a blur.

If he'd gone through the same thing- oh dad.

"For a time, he wasn't the same" mom continued, hand tightening a bit. "Everything he felt was raging, all channeled into that first booklet, and only once it was finished did he get better."

Yuki slumped, heavily relieved... sure she _knew_ dad's okay now, but that'd changed her view, and it was awhile before she responded...

"Dad's parents?" she asked, faint.

Mom must've sensed her internal wish, for she let out a small sigh of relief, gradually easing. "...well Yuki, your father didn't know them for too long" she breathed, still sad but okay. "They died when he was very young, and after that, Balto was alone for a long time-"

"Until you changed that."

Mom just made a little 'mmh', yet better - in that moment, Yuki focused on thoughts of them; even as her sometimes-embarrassing parents, she couldn't deny that they loved each other strongly.

"How did you meet?" she asked, trying to sound lighter - she was curious about that.

Mom glanced up for a bit, expression becoming fond after a time. "Well it was like in storybooks: a chance meeting" she whispered, a little soft. "He was suddenly there at my college one day, taking notes without a textbook. When I noticed he'd left without putting a slip down - otherwise they'd mark him absent - I went over to him. However, he told me he wasn't a student at all-"

Yuki jolted, really surprised.

"-and then he tried to leave. But I saw him help a child who'd fallen without any hesitation, and he was gentle too" mom continued, smiling at her. "So I went after him, saying that if he wanted to come back, my seat would open to him. He wasn't sure at first, so it took him awhile to take me up on that offer."

Because he'd been alone for a long time- she was intent.

"For two months, we grew closer as friends" mom breathed gently. "Then one fateful night, I made the first move (Yuki smiled, not surprised at all). He saw what I was doing, but gently disengaged my arm from his, inviting me up to a hill above the city - and there, Balto showed me what he really was."

"Were you shocked?"

Mom took a second, smile warm. "Very much, Yuki" she whispered gently. "But despite that, I could see your father's heart, and how hard it'd been to reveal that. His being a half-wolf hadn't changed my love; if anything, it grew stronger, and I knew that in an instant."

Feeling warm, Yuki leaned over and hugged mom, who had no objection- she shook a little because of what she'd learned, but mom was there for her. Somewhere in the warmth, she also felt strange; to this day mom's still affected, but because of her strength she's okay. Yuki remembered to before she left for middle school, when she'd visited Ame, and he spoke of how strong they were... something she hadn't appreciated enough. She held mom a little tighter, gaze moving down- mom's hand was close, and the ruby ring reflected bits of light.

Oh yeah, she's always seen that ring on mom's finger - clearly her marriage ring, but it'd never crossed her mind to ask how they'd gotten literal gemstone rings. Well, she's curious about that too... and with both of them already a little affected, she thought they needed to hear something happier.

"And your rings?"

Mom was a bit surprised, glancing down at her hand, but her smile was fond. "Oh, that?" she breathed, free hand moving over it. "Well honestly, it was a completely contrived situation. It's not every day you find gemstones in the trash."

Yuki didn't know it, but her non-vocal reaction was much the same as mom's had been- this was reflected in mom's smile, though she didn't know. "But despite how unlikely that was, it _did_ happen, Yuki" mom continued, very soft. "Your father secretly took two to be remade into rings, and then you can imagine what happened next."

The warmth quickly came back, and she nodded after a moment. "When exactly did it happen?"

Mom's cheeks turned a bit pink. "Oh... the day we left for our country home" she said, content.

That truly surprised her; she'd been five years old when they moved, and Ame four, _quite awhile_ after mom and dad met. Part of her wondered how it'd taken them that long, particularly since they'd had the two of them, but then realities about living in a city apartment came to her... they'd never had much money in this family, not that it's ever been a problem.

Still, clearly mom (or dad) hadn't minded all that much; that thought made her smile again.

* * *

 **Well, the first booklet helped for the most part, so making an improved version would definitely help down the line. Sadly, hearing the fact of her father's experience was involved with said booklet's story :/**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

"Mhh... ughh..."

"Don't worry, Souhei; it'll pass. Just breath in through your mouth, and you'll get much less scent that way, allowing your body to adjust."

"Thanks sir" he breathed, hand near his nose, watching from a slight distance as Balto carved into an animal - he had to admit, while he knew the first experience would be unsettling, he hadn't anticipated his stomach to react this strongly. "So, um... is this harder for you? Or, _was_ harder? With your sense of smell?"

The older man made a sound. "Well, I think it was mixed" he answered simply. "On one hand, of course this is overwhelming the first time, but my wolf instincts regarded it as perfectly normal- I'm sure that helped."

Yeah, Souhei imagined it would, along with changing how you looked at things- mmh, okay, best get away from these sights/smells now. Perhaps he wasn't close to throwing up but he didn't want to push it, especially not while he's a guest. He found his way to the table, carefully (and slowly) breathing in and out with eyes closed... it must've gone on for about a minute. He tried thinking about Yuki, with unconscious focus to when she's happy, and how it seemed to make her light up that way. Souhei was bemused after a bit, but figured he must think it's true to some degree, no matter how corny it might be- and it _was_ a little corny, if sincere.

Hehe, well he felt better already- huh?

 _"Oh yeah, the little booklets her family is working on"_ Souhei thought, tilting his head.

"Interested, Souhei?"

Surprised, he glanced back- Balto was looking at him, but with an understanding look. "Even if you don't have questions, you must be curious" he answered, turning back to this work, "Go right ahead; we won't mind if you look."

Souhei slowly looked back, before an image of Yuki went through his mind, and he remembered something.

"Thanks for the offer" he answered, turning toward the older man. "But first, there's something I'm more curious about, sir."

"Oh?"

"Yuki once told me that when she was six, she was a different person, and I have some difficulty believing that" Souhei mused. "Was it true?"

Balto just laughed, really surprising Souhei. "Was it true?" he asked, turning toward him with a smile. "Quite a bunch. Want to hear something she said at that age?"

He slowly blinked, before unconsciously nodding.

"Very well. I apologize in advance though, as my voice is very different from Yuki's" Balto breathed, eyes closed and taking in a deep breath... then:

 _"'Daddy, what's a preschool? And how come me and Ame don't get to go to one? Whatever it is, I wanna go there. I wanna!'"_

After this, Balto quickly cleared his throat, having a few self-conscious facial expressions that wondered if he'd gone overboard-

-not exactly, but Souhei was too busy to focus on that.

Because he's only known Yuki the last few years, he had difficulty imaging her saying any such thing, especially with her current voice- it really didn't match with those words (nor did her father's). But Souhei had to concede that Yuki _had_ been a different person - energetic, happy, full-of-energy, and a bunch of such things if she'd truly said something like that. Obviously she'd mellowed since, with a bunch done by the time he met her, but it's hard to see Yuki as both versions. Then he mused that of course it'd be difficult since he's late, but no matter- Yuki's who she is now, and that's the one that he likes. Then he wondered if her state during practices was similar, as she tended to move fast, rarely out-of-breath, or out of energy either...

Hmm, maybe - she's still mellowed-out, but maybe.

"Sorry. Maybe that was a little much."

Slowly, Souhei smiled a little. "Not _too_ much, sir" he answered, sorta mild, "Even still, thank you."

Balto looked relieved, rubbing at his head with one hand. "Oh good" the older man breathed, before both of them just started to laugh- after that scene, they sorta-needed it.

...

 _A little later_

 _"Wolves become adults at ten years of age."_

Truly surprised, Souhei flash-backed to that day in the storm: he'd been alone in the car, watching this family talk but understanding from their demeanor(s) that it was deeply personal, perhaps even goodybe. Something which had been confirmed when Ame ran past the car, in his full-wolf form, though he knew Yuki's brother was a full year younger. _"That explains it then... but also, maybe this family didn't know beforehand"_ he thought slowly, things coming together now. He hadn't intended to read that part, but it'd caught his eye while skimming the pages, and now he knew that things were quite different in a half-wolf family- _quite_ different. He wondered what it must've been like for these two, to be parents to half-wolf children and if it'd be appropriate to ask.

If he's truly curious, then probably, but any other reasons would be getting ahead of himself.

 _"Very much ahead of myself"_ he thought, a little unnerved for a moment. _"If I started thinking like that, hypothetically, it could make things very awkward if something slipped out. Good thing I want to let things take time."_

Souhei moved a little-

-a howl sounded, _very_ close by the sound of it, jolting the two of them.

"Ame" Balto breathed, looking toward the slider doors, more animated.

Souhei jolted, quickly standing up as he listened... a few seconds later, he heard the sound of crunching snow, then a clack as something with claws landed on the stonework. He looked that way, while Balto jolted and quickly dug around, even as something heavily shook itself, paws stamping snow onto the stonework.

Not a second later, the doors slid open (and closed) before a wolf walked in-

-and seemed to focus straight on him.

Ame's bearing was strong, his eyes reflecting a similar vibe, quiet and strong- Souhei saw it in himself a little and respected it. He stared back evenly even as Ame's fur rippled, disappearing along with the wolf ears and muzzle... for the most part anyway; a light layer of fur remained all across his body, and while the wolf ears were gone, the eyes and teeth remained wolfish. There was a vague thought in his head about Yuki doing the same thing, as she wanted to be human so her wolfish traits had been minimized - her brother simply had it reversed. Eventually Ame stood up on two legs, 'naked' except for the light fur, still gazing at him intently, which he didn't break.

"I remember you" Ame spoke, eyebrow raised. "Your scent; you're the one my sister hurt."

He slowly raised a hand to his right ear, nodding. "That's right," Souhei spoke evenly. "I'm Souhei, and it was my price to pay, Ame."

Ame's lip curved, before - without looking - he caught a bundle of clothes thrown at him; Balto's doing, staying out of it for the moment. "You don't even hold a grudge" Ame noted, pulling things on slowly, his mannerisms hinting that he's 'resigned' to it. "That's good, because anyone who thinks of messing with my sister-"

"-has to deal with you" he finished easily. "I figured that's what you'd say, but you already know that I won't hurt her."

"Yeah, especially since her scent's all over you."

Souhei shifted, but refused to let his ears heat up - Ame briefly smirked before it faded into faint approval, knowing no matter what's said he and Yuki were together. In either case, Ame continued to dress himself until he was fully clothed, upon which he glanced at his father.

"You didn't have to keep these clothes, dad" he breathed, slightly lighter.

Balto stepped forward, having one of his little smiles. "How could I not?" he asked gently, happy and at ease, "They're the ones you left in, Ame."

On the sidelines, Souhei remembered Ame leaving, and his clothes - the same as the ones he's wearing right now - had certainly seemed to disappear with him. But Balto's comment implied that he'd changed back (the first time he'd visited anyway) and then they'd slipped off, allowing this family to keep them at home for when he visited. At the same time, he heard something else walking on the stonework before the sliding door opened again- this time more gradual, jerky, as if something were nudging them open. Ame and his father both turned at this, before a second wolf carefully walked in... the she-wolf, a grey timber breed just as Hana said, even as cold air circulated from the open door.

She sniffed repeatedly, first looking at Balto (who slowly nodded in greeting), then at Ame and his clothes, and finally in his direction - in both the latter cases, she and Ame seemed to communicate through body language, though Ame had to improvise since he's no longer in wolf form.

 _"This is quite interesting, meeting a half-wolf and a full wolf in the same minute"_ Souhei thought, but liking it.

Out loud: "Does she have a name?" he asked of Ame.

His lip curved again, giving off a low chuckle. "She didn't care much about names at first" Ame admitted, the she-wolf's tail flicking. "When learning under dad, and under myself, she was focused solely on rediscovering her instincts. Only after she'd finally settled into things did she come around to that, least when I was curious: Silver."

"Silver?" Balto wondered, looking at the she-wolf, who slowly looked away.

"It's a name her previous owner called her, in regards to her fur color, but the nature center didn't know this" Ame answered, looking at the she-wolf/Silver. "When he died, she was taken in but there was no name on her records, strangely enough. She thinks it's easier to be called that out of convenience, if nothing else. And also-"

The she-wolf gave off a small growl.

Ame raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "She apparently doesn't want to share that last part" he improvised, Silver's tail swishing back in a briefly-annoyed pattern. Balto slowly looked sheepish-yet-understanding even as he said it's good to see her again, while Souhei smiled a bit; whatever that tidbit might be, it's her right - though it probably helped that they (or at least, _he_ ) can't understand her, so she has to let Ame tell them or not. Maybe Yuki's dad could understand the she-wolf as well, as he's part wolf, though that did bring up the question of language and such.

"Well in either case, nice to meet both of you" Souhei breathed, bending down to be eye-level with Silver, but not moving any closer - after all, these guys aren't big dogs; they're proud wolves.

Gotta show his respect.

...

After that, things went by a little slower in the next half-hour, as they were waiting for Yuki and Hana to get back, him in particular. Ame mentioned that while he had several stories they might like to hear, he wished to wait till the whole family's here so he didn't have to repeat things; the she-wolf was more aloof, but that seemed an aspect of being unsure about the human elements. Maybe- Souhei thought it must be odd, being a raised-in-captivity wolf who's relearned everything, living in the wild for awhile then suddenly coming back to a part of civilization, even if for a short. Still, both wolves were excited at the meat being prepared... well if defrosting a dead rabbit counted; they preferred their prey raw, and Balto was making sure it's un-frozen and parasite-free.

Just at the door, bundled up, Souhei strained his ears for their approaching car, but nothing yet. _"They'll be here soon"_ he thought, knowing the village wasn't that far on four wheels. _"And if Yuki's happy seeing her brother, all the better."_

He recognized a familiar sound, having heard it for two-and-a-half hours on the trip here; he smiled, preparing to greet them. Within less than a minute, the car drove up to the front yard, both women getting out and grabbing stuff, though Yuki was the first to start moving toward them. "Souhei" she greeted, before motioning at what she held. "Can you give us a hand?"

"Yeah, sure."

Just as he'd taken a number of things, Yuki's gaze moved past him, and a glance showed why: Ame had a gleam in his eyes, lip curved.

"Ame!"

Her brother seemed 'wearily' prepared for her hug, chuckling a bit, but good-natured - Souhei smiled, but made sure to carefully pick up the stuff Yuki dropped. A gasp further back sounded Hana's reaction, but he didn't look up or move, knowing he'd literally be in the way for the next few minutes; it's fine.

"Oh Ame, it's been awhile."

"Heh, so it has Yuki. I'm sure you've been busy with school... and your recent boyfriend here."

"Mmh-"

"Relax, I'm not against it."

"Even still" Yuki told her brother, slightly pulling back from their hug - Souhei saw this in peripheral vision, as he did Hana approaching. "I didn't think even you'd tease me about this; you're usually more stoic."

Ame's gaze seemed to gleam, stepping out of their hug. "So sue me for enjoying myself a little" he breathed, smirking. "Oh wait, you can't."

Yuki pushed her brother's shoulder, probably pouting but without much force; he barely minded. After that, Ame was more focused on his mother, who he hesitantly hugged as well - Hana was definitely happy, briefly wiping at her eyes but with a smile, saying he looked well even as she quickly helped with the dropped stuff, though Souhei said his partial transformation looks completely different from Yuki's.

"That's because of our choices" Ame explained, glancing at his sister, who had her hands in front. "Yuki wants to be human, so her wolf traits are almost-gone, unless she fully gives into them. Me, I'm the opposite and so I'm mostly wolf-like this way."

Still carrying things, Souhei was interested. "And your dad?"

Yuki smiled at him a little. "Well, dad chose to be human, but also wanted to keep his wolf instincts close enough, Souhei" she explained. "So he has no problem going back and forth, though he stays human mostly... I don't think I've ever seen him go 'partway', if I remember correctly."

"He did, Yuki, rarely" Hana breathed, nostalgic - Yuki (and Ame)'s attention quickly went to her, as if intent. "Mostly when Balto talked to the she-wolf, doing so in wolf form but close enough to human to transform back quickly, because there was limited time to talk in the nature center. Still, I think he got the best of both that way."

Souhei could see that, though he noticed Yuki and Ame glanced at each other, expressions complex.

/

"'Silver'?"

"Yeah" Balto breathed to his wife, standing together. "I don't know why she never mentioned this to me, but apparently that's what her original owner called her. The nature center never knew because that name wasn't on her records, but even still, it's kinda weird how this happened."

Even as Hana replied, both of them getting food ready, Souhei sat with Yuki and Ame - Silver remained apart from all of them, sorta aloof but watchful and aware.

"You know, it's amazing how alike you two are to your parents" he breathed, smiling a bit.

"I wouldn't go that far, Souhei."

"Yeah" Ame noted, if with a faint smile. "Being alike in some ways, I can acknowledge, but I'd like to think I'm my own wolf."

Beside him, Yuki seemed to turn inward for a bit, but with a similar smile. "Yeah" she breathed, fainter. "I'd like to think that too, if a person rather than a wolf."

Souhei glanced between them, wondering... at least for Yuki, he thought it must be related to Yuki's 'feeling-like-a-kid' struggle. He sympathized greatly, considering he wanted to grow fast - for Ame, it might be something else entirely, knowing that he's a lone wolf and yet choose to keep some human ties, mainly with his family.

"Even still, I think Souhei's right" Yuki breathed to her brother, genuinely lighter. "You're kinda like mom, taking on a grown-up lifestyle while young, even if it's not one I'd agree with."

"Hmm" Ame mused, resting on his side with all four limbs sorta 'out'. "And you're like dad, revealing your deepest secret to someone you care about" he teased back, turning Yuki's cheeks pink, particularly when Souhei slowly touched her fingers in response to this.

"Well, how flattering."

Souhei looked, as did Yuki and Ame, finding the latter's parents holding their food. Hana had the stuff for herself, Yuki and him, and Balto had the meats for Ame and Silver - they both had smiles even as they got down, and while they didn't say anything, it's clear that they'd heard every word.

Still, Ame was quick to pull some meat out of Balto's outstretched hand, much like a wolf even as he walked over, setting a portion next to Silver.

Wait... wasn't that- wasn't that part of a wolves' mating ritual...?

A quick glance showed Balto's raised eyebrow, and Hana's small sideways glances- Yuki didn't immediately notice, since she was handling their trays.

"Relax" Ame spoke without looking, as if he'd anticipated this. "I know what this looks like, but it's not _that_. I'm just bringing her food; that's all."

Souhei wondered, but Silver hadn't shown any special reactions- other than sniffing the food carefully, but that seemed expected. He might not be the best on wolves, but that seemed unusual... hmm, Ame was mainly wolf-like, but still has some human behavior...

"Heh" Balto breathed, sounding sheepish. "Well, how you and Silver conduct business is your concern, not ours. Still, if that _had_ been what it looked like-"

"You and mom might've assumed, or questioned me" Ame finished, sounding exasperated as he moved back. As he did, Silver tore into her meat without concern/reaction to the conversation.

"Indeed" Hana noted, cheeks still slightly pink but smiling. "After all, we're still your family, Ame. But since it seems to be normal, you two should enjoy these meats."

"Yeah, sure mom. It's nice you thought to pre-heat it, but we'd have been fine even if you hadn't."

At about the same time, Souhei moved closer to Yuki, which allowed her to place some of the meat onto his plate. He heard Ame's statement but he's also interested in eating, particularly in tasting these more unusual animal meats... to show his appreciation, he briefly brushed his fingers against Yuki's hand, which she didn't mind as she finished setting up her own plate.

After a minute, Hana and Balto sat down nearby, looking at each other with nods before Hana started things off: "Okay, here's to a little late Christmas meal" she announced, raising her glass a bit, the rest of them (save Ame and Silver) following suit. "Cheers."

"Cheers."

Ame almost immediately tore into his meat, which everyone save him barely reacted to- though, he wouldn't say his reaction had been big either; just surprised. Afterward, Souhei looked at Yuki with a smile for a bit, before down at his meat; well here goes everything.

A few bites later...

"Mmh!" he breathed, grinning. "This is really good. So rich, unique-"

Ame glanced at him, a piece hanging from his mouth before he pulled it up, smirking. "That's the appeal of hunting prey, Souhei" he stated, pleased. "It's best when fresh, but the variety of flavors and tenderness make a meal worth the effort put in."

"But you can never heat it up" Yuki added, with a little playful smile. "So you also miss out."

"Still worth it, Yuki."

Souhei had a smile again, glad to see them getting along; Yuki deserved that much. Still, he caught their parents' eyes, showing that he did appreciate the chance to taste unusual meats (which was easily returned). It went like this for a little while too, eating and talking and content to listen to both- her parents had a similar streak, happy to see their children again. Yuki talked about school, saying she and Souhei are still keeping in shape, but also making sure their grades were high enough to stay on the teams- and also how she's bound to start growing more soon, plus school might start asking what they're interested in. Ame started sharing those stories he'd mentioned, like how once a small boulder had been accidentally smashed by a dead tree, which fell on it from high up- he mildly said he didn't expect that, but it did happen.

Despite themselves, they were laughing at the 'absurdity' of such a thing - the only exception was Silver, because obviously a full wolf couldn't laugh like a human; she merely flicked her ears at the sound of laughter.

* * *

 **Well, the manga definitely mentioned that Ame visited on occasion, at the very least leaving fruit; this is the logical conclusion, fitting to the story hehe.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _That night; slightly late_

Yuki let out a breath, seeing it form in the cool air- the wind blew over, but she barely noticed. Neither did Ame, sitting on her right in full-wolf form, paws crossed as they gazed up at the full moon, the biggest source of light out here. It seemed like they'd been quiet for awhile now, after having talked about many things after their slightly-late Christmas dinner, with the most recent being her newest knowledge about dad. The mention of near-drowning had gotten mixed reactions from Ame, as if he couldn't remember what happened, only before and after... but also, that he never realized dad struggled under such a burden before.

She agreed; he'd _never_ given such hints to them, and if he had early on, they were too young to remember. And then to have faced it again, caught between his fear and Ame's life... well, at least she knew mom and dad had gotten through it; they're some of the strongest people she knew, Souhei included on that.

And still time passed...

"So Yuki, what are you gonna do?"

She slowly looked at her brother, who's gaze remained on the moon, and yet internally focused- at least until he looked at her. "In the distant future" he added. "The big possibilities."

Her cheeks heated a little and she drew her knees up, arms over them. "Ame, I'm still only fourteen" she mumbled, yet not surprised he's moving on, regarding dad's burden. "I'm not an adult yet... even if I did have such thoughts, they're a long way off."

"Physically, no you're not" Ame mused. "But mentally's a different story. How many twelve-year-olds could handle living on their own at a dorm room? You've managed two years since then without trouble, homesickness, or constant questions to mom and dad."

Vocally, Yuki didn't answer, but didn't have to - even if she rarely indulged/thought about her wolf side, it still affected her in many ways.

"Maybe you don't want to think now, but eventually you will" he continued, resting his muzzle upon his paws. "And then, who knows?"

She made a sound, looking at him. "The same applies to you, Ame" she breathed, moving her fingers a bit. "I mean, even if you've accepted living alone, Silver's with you now... and you seem close enough to work together."

Ame made a small growl, slightly annoyed. "I did accept that" he breathed, a little more quiet but not tense. "I knew from the beginning I might go my entire life alone, staying here as the mountain's Guardian, but that's the path I chose. I never expected our parents to set her free, or that I'd gradually changed her with my brief visits before... now I'm not sure what to do."

"You're not interested?" Yuki slowly asked.

He glanced away. "More like it's complicated, Yuki" he said, a bit short. "She intends to stay on the mountain, at least for now, as it's better than the nature center. Just like you and Souhei (her cheeks heated), she presents possibilities... but I don't want to be 'compelled' _just_ because of natural drive, or any desire to bring half-wolves back from the brink."

After a moment, she smiled a bit, scooting closer in the snow- Ame probably heard, but didn't look up until her sisterly touch on his fur.

"Seems you've still got some human in you, Ame" she breathed gently, before a little teasing. "It almost seems like you're affected by Silver."

His eyes started to gleam, even smirking. "That's major Deja Vu" he said, which got her to laugh a little. "But you've got a point; if I were a full wolf, I probably wouldn't have hesitated... maybe she won't either for all I know."

By this point, she's no longer quite as embarrassed, if glad it'd take years before she physically got to such points. "I'm sure you'll do great" she mumbled, but sincere.

"I'm not overly worried about that, Yuki. It's our bloodline that pauses me..."

Yuki slowly looked at the full moon again, knowing exactly what he meant... possibly one day, if either/both of them had children, they'd be half-wolves just like them...

"You'd have to get in touch with your human side, just to make sure they know what it's like" she continued to mumble, though she got better after awhile. "You'd owe it to them, and if you didn't they'd probably do so anyway out of curiosity... but I'm sure mom and dad would love to help, since you live close enough at times. Me though, it'd be slightly harder: if I got a place in the city, or country, I'd have to get in touch with my wolf side as they would. Trying to keep the secret's gonna be a pain..."

After a bit, Ame nudged her side. "I'm sure you can relate" he said good-naturedly, if smirking. "You were a complete bundle of energy when we were young."

"Mmh."

"But either way, yeah we'd owe it to them, no matter what we thought of things" Ame continued, fainter. "Just like mom and dad have done with us, thinking about our needs over their own, even when seriously affected."

His tone was complex yet had bits of sadness, which she couldn't deny feeling herself- neither of them had known about dad's brush with death. "Well even though that's true, it's still some time away for me, Ame" Yuki whispered. "Even if I'm more mature for my age because of my blood, I'm still only fourteen. You on the other hand have it a lot closer... in more ways than one, because I know winter's mating season for wolves."

Her brother was silent for a bit, until he started getting up- she watched as he stood upright on four paws, still looking at the moon.

"Well, that's my business" he stated, eyes gleaming. "I'll have to make a decision about that at some point, obviously. But for now..."

Ame took in a breath, moving in a certain way... she recognized the stance almost right away...

 _ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

The howl echoed in the night air, bringing a rush through her stimulated blood, actually a little tempted to join in now. Hand to her heart, Yuki looked at her brother, who listened to the echo before he looked at her... that expression; there's no way to mistake it. Time seemed to slow for her, feeling/remembering everything: running on all fours, the urge to chew and chase after everything, the enhanced instincts at hunting, and feeling the sun/wind on her fur. Added to that was Ame's statement that for the sake of any potential family, they'd be the only ones able to teach their children about the other sides, the ones their mates couldn't.

Even if they preferred a type, that remained true... and it came in handy for dad, being able to advise mom even with his weird liking-both-sides quirk. Even if it's some time off for her, it'd happen eventually, yet her brother no doubt had to face this soon.

Slowly, heart beating fast, Yuki shifted where she sat and reached deep inside - the cool air became further muted as her skin grew fur, fingernails morphing into claws, and a tail growing from underneath her dress (least until the latter disappeared). Long overdue, all parts of her, her body briefly shook as she readjusted to this reality; Ame looked at her, gaze supportive, non-verbally saying she can do this.

Panting, blood stimulated, she gathered her nerve and let loose her own howl, and her blood reacted again; it'd been so long. She remembered dad howling after they'd arrived at their new home, when he couldn't have had a chance in the city... how long had it been for him? Ame's eyes were pridefully approving, and while it took her a little, she slowly returned the favor with a little smile- however, when he glanced at a point behind her, she was confused. Before she could ask, the crunching of snow became audible to her ears, very close at hand... she'd been so focused on the howl and her own reaction that she hadn't even heard this.

Slowly, she turned around-

-and to her big jolt, Souhei stood a distance away.

Unnoticed right now, Ame just got up and moved around her... once he passed by Souhei, he said in an undertone, "I'll tell mom and dad you two wanted to stay a little longer" before running off. Yuki would register that later but for now, her world was basically limited to herself, Souhei, and the stretch of snow around them. For two years he'd only seen her as a half-wolf on occasion, and even then her features had been understated because of her desire to be human; just the wolf ears, the nose, and the little fangs. Yet now... now he saw her as a full wolf, on the very night she'd become one for the first time in years...

...

Souhei would be glad later that Ame left them alone, that he'd tell Yuki's parents about their staying longer.

Still... oh wow...

Having seen Yuki's half-wolf form several times, he'd always been interested, and only recently had he been able to feel her fur, if via her ear. Yet now Yuki had crossed over the threshold, her form that of a full wolf, her clothes currently 'gone'. From what he saw in the moonlight, Yuki's fur was mainly a tan color - tail included - with the underside more white than anything- but her 'hair' was the same color as usual, with the eyes red-orange. Even as he watched, Yuki was staring at him with a mix of emotions - some fading shock, shyness and worry taking place now, along with some flickers trying to fight those off, all in a way similar-yet-different to when she's human.

Internally, Souhei was glad; Yuki's affected, but she still knows him by heart, ie that he could be trusted.

"S-Souhei, I-" she tried to say - it was interesting to see her speak in wolf form.

"It's okay, Yuki" he gently assured, giving a little smile. "You don't have to say anything."

She wasn't exactly surprised by his statement, but Yuki slowly settled on her- her _haunches_ , yes that's the word. Souhei kept up the smile as he slowly approached, never looking away from her eyes even as she seemed to shiver from nervousness. Gently, he raised a hand, letting her see before he touched his fingers to her fur... feeling it just as soft as her wolf ears, Souhei gradually upped his small affections, settling in the snow. For awhile he just slowly rubbed along her muzzle, the sides of her face, and a little of her back - as he worked, Yuki's nervousness gradually disappeared, both of them still looking at each other.

"I know you've accepted me, Souhei, but I- I never showed you this before" Yuki whispered, glancing down. "It's not that I was exactly afraid, but I want to be human."

Souhei just listened, keeping up the small affections.

"Yet even with that, I'm still a wolf" she continued, looking at him again. "I guess I was a little late in accepting that."

"Nah, I don't think so" he breathed gently, brushing his hand along where her cheek would be- he could almost feel her wolf jawbone. "You made a decision, Yuki, and you're simply adjusting as you go. Just like me, wanting to grow up as soon as possible, but that's not as easy or quick as it sounds; I still want to learn as much as I can, but I'm adjusting to the realities. You like being human, but maybe you simply needed a little nudge for your wolf side."

As he spoke, Yuki's eyes seemed to become brighter, somewhere between shining and a wolf-ish gleam. "Ame- he's given me such a nudge, but you've done that too, Souhei" she whispered, more soft. "Thinking my wolf side is cute and all that."

"It is cute" Souhei breathed softly, moving forward a bit, giving her a kiss on the nose (she hitched, surprised). "But seeing you as a full wolf now, it's something else now, something more..."

A little gasp.

He shook his head a little, having a small smile. "I- I don't know the word to describe it" he admitted, somewhat sheepish yet sincere. "Or maybe I don't want to sound corny, but I still mean it."

"Oh..."

Yuki had slipped closer, muzzle very near his mouth, and he could feel her breath (and see the sharper teeth)... almost an impulse, she then licked his nose, to his surprise. Yuki quickly/embarrassingly realized what she did, quickly glancing away, and probably would've been blushing were she not a wolf...

Still, touching his licked nose, Souhei managed a hum.

"I could probably get used to that" he admitted, to her sound. "But I like our kisses more anyway."

For a few moments, Yuki just seemed to look at him - seeing her boyfriend, the one guy outside her family who knew and accepted her as a half-wolf, and liked it even. Her fur began to ripple across her body then, much to his interest- though in respect to her modesty (and hopefully avoiding any 'incidents'), he only 'really' looked at her face. Thankfully though, her clothes reappeared from nothingness as if they were never gone, making him think at least it was consistent with each change. Even still, Souhei was internally relieved even as Yuki looked at him, a little pink-cheeked on her end, but managing a smile.

"When you looked at me, I-I've never seen you that intent before" Yuki whispered to him.

"Was I staring like a fool?"

His odd statement caused her to giggle, which made him smile, glad that it worked.

"No, not really" she admitted, slowly sitting closer, leaning against his side- he liked that. "But it did make you look older, almost like a different person."

Hmm- Souhei leaned forward, just enough for her to notice... Yuki made a little sound but turned toward him, really close- their lips met, just a simple little kiss but it made them warm. After briefly breaking apart, feeling each other's breath, Yuki retook his lips even as she pulled him closer, and he didn't mind as he returned the favor.

Later he'd ask what she discussed with her brother, but for now he's enjoying how close they are.

* * *

 _December 27th; early morning_

 _Home_

His body literally felt the change in the environment, birds chirping to announce the sunrise, as well as a gradual warm-up in the air itself. Ame cracked an eye open, sniffing carefully - still at his parent's home, laying in that stretch of land behind the house, and nothing's really changed - even as he registered Silver stirring beside him, similarly waking up. Remembering back to his conversation with Yuki, he thought that any day now, Silver would go into heat and be sexually receptive, and this would be something he'd smell from miles away. And if he didn't make a decision soon, he'd potentially have to wait till next year, in case he chose to decide 'yes'.

It could be done... the territory he and Silver overlooked would be big enough for pups, and a few extra mouths wouldn't put too much pressure on the animal populations...

 _"But after that is the real question"_ Ame thought, slowly glancing off. _"I'll definitely need that booklet... and discussion for a few aspects."_

Moving onto all fours, Ame stretched where he stood, claws digging into the earth beneath him. After all, as wolves they're most comfortable sleeping on solid ground - in most places it'd be dangerous to sleep on open ground, but this home is basically a safe zone so it's cool. Even as he stretched his legs behind him, Silver did similar, though with an odd look in her eyes. It took him a few seconds to notice, but once he did he noted her demeanor- the same as it'd been since coming here, as that of revisiting something that used to be familiar.

In response, Ame nibbled her flank with his teeth, just enough to get her attention - once he had it, a combination of his look and his body language told her it's fine. It was a manner accomplished without words, audible or mentally, and he's not even sure it could be explained properly, but it worked well between wolves and their highly-tuned senses.

So in essence, he told her it'd be semi-common in time, but the wild would still be their home.

Silver made a little whimper that, in human terms, would've been the equivalent of rolling-your-eyes- not that it stopped her from nibbling his ear in the same manner. After that, she adopted a dominant stance, perfectly ready for him to take up the challenge... giving off a little growl, he took up the same stance, ready for the little play-session...

This time she won, befitting her matured instincts.

...

A few hours afterward, everyone woke up properly, as could be expected - and now that they're no longer alone, Silver went back to that psuedo-aloof demeanor, which Ame still found amusing. He wasn't sure what exactly prompted her to choose that behavior, but like he has any problem with it... in fact, no one else really did either, so that's good.

For a little while, it was relatively calm, as they all had different tasks to attend to at first.

Silver left for the forest soon, going to hunt what game she could find- still had plenty of fat stored away from autumn (as did he), but it's better to be safe for winter. At the same time, Yuki was sitting at the table with Souhei, going over the little booklet and a few of it's details - his sister seemed to be slowly adjusting, knowing the information in that booklet would one day come in handy. And in the same vein, one day he'd have to sit down and go over the other booklet too, the one meant for him... and somehow in an environment of wolves, keep it out of reach of (potential) curious pups who'd chew it to pieces before they learned better. Meaning he should probably get over there and join them, since their conversation didn't look too personal... still, Ame glanced into the kitchen, where his parents were working to prepare breakfast.

Even more than his sister and Souhei, they were so _easy_ around each other... always having a little smile when they looked, talked, or 'randomly' touched a hand over each others's...

 _"They were always like that, but I don't think I ever stopped to appreciate it"_ Ame thought, feeling strange... of course he's a wolf, but this must be the human blood. Even with his choice there's no getting away from that fact; he'd said as much to Yuki.

And neither can he get away from the booklet, assuming what the future holds in store... he just wondered how Silver would adjust, as pups would be one thing, but human intricacies?

Carefully, he slipped out of sight of everyone, just in case... he reached deeper inside, going halfway between his forms. When he glanced down at his fur-colored body, he saw that his clothes had materialized back- so he isn't suddenly gonna be naked or anything. Briefly smirking a little, Ame then slowly completed the transformation back... he wasn't exactly cold or anything, but he felt exposed, which he supposed even clothes were in comparison to fur. After a second and a deep breath, he then re-entered the room, going toward the table and sitting down at it... he met the eyes of both his sister and Souhei, when they noticed.

A lot silently passed between them, particularly him and Yuki as she remembered back to last night. Souhei seemed intent on taking in his human image, as he hadn't seen much of him period, but that's understandable. In the background, Ame also heard the reactions of his parents, seeing him like this for the first time in years... he didn't look over, but he didn't have to see their reactions; let them enjoy this rare moment unhindered, as they're entitled to that much.

"So" Souhei breathed after a few moments, glancing at Yuki. "As I understand it, wolves turn adult at the age of ten. Does that mean that, if you favor wolf, you decide instantly at that age?"

Reaching forward, Ame took the not-being-used booklet. "No, it isn't instant" he spoke, not as easily as he'd have liked. "It can happen at any time after that age, assuming the person is favoring wolf. But that's only for half-wolves, as a two-year-old wolf is considered mature, ie an adult."

"But even if one prefers being human, they kinda tend to decide sometime after the age of ten anyway, though it varies. Or that's what we think" Yuki breathed, half at Souhei. "I guess that's the turning point one way or the other, or the beginning of such, compelled by bloodline instincts."

"Even on the rare cases, like dad" Ame said, a little more fond. "I don't understand how he chose both, even if he presented himself as human. I'm not even sure if I should ask..."

"Me neither."

Souhei glanced between them, taking in what they said - he's still new to the deeper details, but clearly interested. He touched Yuki's hand, making her stir even as his head tilted. "Are you curious?" he asked, of both of them-

They were both silent, as they didn't really know the answer.

-he hummed as this registered. "Then don't stress it" Souhei said simply. "You might ask later, but for now you haven't decided."

Ame raised an eyebrow. "With comments like that, make you seem almost like a simple guy" he noted.

"He's straightforward, Ame" Yuki answered for Souhei; she tapped her fingers once, having pulled her hand away quickly (even playfully), having a little smile while Souhei chuckled. "Not simple. There's a difference."

"Heh, if you say so."

...

A little distance away, they could hear every word, though they tried not to make it obvious - yet the two parents felt warm, happy, and content

Even more than normal.

"I feel like they're growing again, right before my eyes" Hana whispered; her hand was taken by Balto, and she looked at him. "Yuki and Souhei, looking at each other the way we do, if tentative about it and much younger. And Ame still looks the same as before- it's nice to see him like that again, isn't it?"

"More than I can say, Hana" Balto breathed, moving closer- she leaned into the brief kiss. "I had the same reaction to hearing their howls, Yuki's included; it was so moving. And Souhei, well... I kinda have this silly instinct, that I could start thinking of him as my son, quite easily."

She glanced behind them- the kids were still talking, looking over the booklets. "If those two keep going as they have, you probably will, Balto" Hana whispered, really close. "He'll 'probably' become our son-in-law-"

"-he could. But Yuki would die of embarrassment if we said _that_ out loud."

A few seconds of (stifled) giggles/chuckles between them. "She would" Hana whispered, smiling. "Though after what they've shared, I don't think there's much chance of anyone else anyway."

"Mmh" Balto breathed, returning the smile. "Well hopefully for them, nothing contrived will happen."

A moment passed, both of them looking down at their gemstone marriage rings.

"Some are good though" Hana whispered, really soft - he could only nod, intertwining their fingers.

"Very."

* * *

 **Somehow, even after seeing Yuki and Ame choose one side over the other, I thought at some point they'd have to deal with both. After all, while their partner might be the same as their choice, it still wouldn't account for the other side...  
**

 **^Still, it does make for good development; they might choose one side at first (both on rare occasions), but as they grow they begin to lean back toward both, while still favoring one over the other :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _Later in the day_

Ame noted Silver still wasn't back; she must be hunting fairly far, or perhaps is gorging herself on what's available. Thanks to being in human form, he couldn't hear or smell as far even with wolf instincts, but knew she'd be able to find her way back easily. He half-turned then, away from the winter sights and slipped inside- he noted his sister and Souhei deeper in the house, still discussing things, while mom and dad worked to clean up the dishes. He felt amused then, insisting that they put all their food on plates rather than eat it right where it lay, just so juices and stuff doesn't stain their clothes, furniture, or floors.

Heh.

He glanced around a corner, then moved stealthily through the house... though once near mom and dad, he didn't try after that point.

Dad must have tipped mom off, for she noticed him first; she gave her usual smile, making a few memories surface. His lip curved, but he put those aside for the moment, knowing he has a reason for going to them-

"You know, we were starting to wonder" Dad mused, glancing at him; he had a playful gleam in his eye. "When we'd have our turn alone with you" he continued, mom clearly trying to suppress giggles.

Ame just raised his eyes to the ceiling, knowing that'd been coming. "So I'm late" he said, shrugging. "But now I'm here to talk, because I need some serious advice... I need to bounce some ideas off you two."

"About your future?" mom asked gently. "About what life with Silver would mean?"

His eyes narrowed.

Dad shrugged, unfazed by his wolf stare. "Come on, Ame, it wasn't that hard to guess, as far as it being a possibility" he said, a little mild yet sincere. "We've known that ever since we helped her escape, knowing that after I taught her what I know, she'd go to you. And then, who knows?"

As dad said it, mom slowly rubbed at his arm, nodding- Ame felt exasperated, but figured since they'd gotten to the point, it's faster to just go with this. "Okay fine, you got me; she's a possibility" he said outright, shrugging. "However, I know it's not as simple as mate and have pups... there will be long-term effects."

They both knew what he meant, looking at each other. "I think we'll need to sit down for this one" dad said, mom nodding- they easily put everything away, leaving them to finish things later, and soon all three of them were sitting upon the floor.

"Go on, Ame" mom encouraged. "We'll do everything we can to help."

Yeah, he knew they would; they're strong that way.

"Guess I'll start with the broad stuff, so you get the complete picture" Ame started, glancing off into space. "If we had hypothetical pups, it would still take years, decades even, before there's more wolves in the wild."

Dad slowly nodded, a little more serious. "I'd imagine so" he said, glancing at Hana. "Except in large packs, only the parental pair mate at all, and even then it typically happens only once a year."

"Right" mom breathed, clearly remembering. "Because winter is a wolf's mating season."

"More than that, it depends on the available food, territory, and so forth" Ame said, knowing those facts; he could easily keep track of the general number of animals, just by scent and other indicators. "If they don't match up well, wolves won't mate at all. But ignoring that for now, there's other long-term obstacles because of my blood. Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Your parents, weren't they human? Or at least looked like it?"

Dad paused a few moments, clearly trying to remember, while mom held his hand in support (he squeezed back). "Yeah, they were" he breathed, looking back. "I learned everything I could from them, Ame, in that short time-"

"-as did I, if much longer" Ame breathed, looking between them. "In both their case and yours, it was a human family raising half-wolves. Taught us human language, while wolf instincts would be learned by experience."

Seconds passed, their expressions working- mom gave a little gasp. "I think I see where you're going with this, Ame" she breathed, a little wondering-

-he made a sound. "Yeah. How does a wolf family teach wolf pups human language? Or even how to write it?" he outlined, glancing up. "Never mind the fact that wolf pups are born blind and deaf, staying that way for about two weeks though they grow quickly. They'll learn all the quirks of being a wolf, but I'm the only one who can speak, read, or write human language, not both of us. I'd definitely have my work cut out for me, especially since no matter what, some pups might choose to be human anyway."

Mom and dad looked at each other, quite surprised. "Well uh..." dad breathed, glancing up before he jolted. "Well, what if they regularly visited us?" he said, and once he had their full attention: "I mean, as young pups they're still eager to learn, right? If we kept talking to them, and then later teach them to read and write, those who are interested at least, could it work?"

Even as Ame tried to process this, mom seemed ahead of them; surprised, but still able to think. "Yeah, it might Balto" she breathed, getting softer. "Pups may grow quickly, but in human terms they'd still be babies for awhile, except maybe more in control of themselves. And human brains are wired for such learning until the age of three, which in wolf terms would be many of their adult years - it could give them the basics."

"It could work, Hana. Maybe not as easily as human-raised children, but it might."

As they said it, Ame unconsciously thought back to the booklet; it pretty much had the human side figured, and a bunch of the wolf stuff too. But it was human-focused, filled in from his dad from what he learned, before and after he met mom... a half-wolf family raised by actual wolves was uncharted territory, and if any predecessors had gone through this, the knowledge seemed to have been lost along the way.

Heh, well no one said living as a wolf was easy either.

"I guess that- that solves one obstacle" Ame admitted, drawing their attention again. "The human one anyway, even if it won't be easy."

"Human?" mom wondered, while dad seemed a little more intent.

"Right mom. Still hypothetically, let's say it all works: me and Silver raise these pups right, managing to keep them all alive and teach them everything they need to know - both wolf instincts from us, and basic human language abilities from you two, no matter what they choose later on. Me and Silver will probably continue as normal, maybe having more pups, or not as conditions dictate - the pups that choose human will find their own ways, though they might need some help establishing identity and stuff, and a lot more knowledge than I can give them alone. The ones that choose wolf- well, they'll be like I was."

Dad let out a breath, squeezing mom's hand. "They'll find their own places, but wolves are extinct in Japan" he said, quieter. "Without other wolves, and unless they choose to interbreed, their lines won't continue."

Ame shuddered. "Wolves don't interbreed unless absolutely necessary, but I'd rather they don't face that choice _period_."

Because he wasn't looking, he wasn't sure what his parents' expressions were, but he could guess; human or wolf, incest generally isn't something either would choose to do. While he could see his hypothetical pups coming here to learn human behaviors, the task of finding more wolves and letting them loose in Japan was a far more enormous one. His lines could continue through pups who choose to be human, but how long until eventually, the ones who've chosen wolf ended when they couldn't find a mate? And given the chances of a wolf pup making it past the first year, that end was closer than he wanted to admit... though, given that they'd be half-wolves, maybe they'd live longer than normal.

He'd been fine with being a lone wolf, but he didn't know if he wanted to bring pups into this world, knowing those who choose wolf would be 'forced' to follow his example... aside from those who 'might' interbreed. And further complicating the issue was Silver herself; she's as fit as a wolf can be, despite years of inactivity before this, but she's a pure wolf; she didn't have the same li-

"I don't think you'll have to face it, Ame."

Brought out of his thoughts, he looked up, confused- mom was still thinking, focused inwardly.

"What?" dad breathed, a hand on mom's shoulder. "What are you thinking, Hana?"

A moment passed. "Maybe, we could browse for other wolves" she breathed, growing in confidence a little. "There should be some sanctuaries across the country, or perhaps zoos that hold some. If we have enough money... we could buy one, or more."

Ame wasn't sure who's more amazed; himself or dad. He didn't know the price of buying a wolf - learning all about them had avoided that - but he knew it couldn't be cheap. Even still, from what he remembered the only things his parents actually payed for were groceries (to supplement what crops they grew, and dad hunted), and electric stuff. Considering their life in this house was pretty simple, it didn't even seem like that much... uh, what's the word again... 'upkeep', so maybe their savings had been growing in recent years thanks to the nature center.

Still, it'd be quite the effort either way... secretly buying domesticated wolves, and then re-training/releasing them into Japan's wilderness was a pretty big deal...

/

 _Same time_

"It's partially unconfirmed what form babies are born into. Between two humans, they seem to lean toward human, but more data is needed."

Souhei didn't glance at Yuki as she read that line out loud - after all, she's reading it (and everything else) purely so that she could gain the knowledge, just as he's doing.

Yuki stirred, clearly inwardly embarrassed. "I-I really hope that much is true" she mumbled. "The human bit."

"Me too" he said, equally faint. "It'd be hard enough for humans to take care of a baby, but a wolf pup? Especially before they learn how to change, if I read the point that this starts correctly."

"Mmh. Well... uh, maybe soon, Ame would be able to fill in the o-other part of that angle."

Blinking, he slowly looked at Yuki- she's clearly embarrassed by this subject, but when it came to the idea of her brother having children/pups so soon? He discreetly looked at her closer, trying to discern subtle clues... Yuki found it odd and embarrassing, but did she want to talk about it?

Eventually, he voiced the thought out loud:

"Do you want to talk about that, Yuki?" Souhei asked.

Her cheeks turned pink, looking at him, before bookmarking the page and closing the booklet- he saw this in his peripheral vision, but with her answer clear, kept looking straight at her. "Before you came to find us last night, Ame and I talked quite a bit, including about our futures" she admitted, tapping her fingers, possibly nervous about how he'd take things. "Teasing who we're with now, and about any... potential families."

Okay, now he's surprised; that's about the same stuff he'd been suppressing, because he'd thought it'd be inappropriate. Yet the fact she's talked with her brother - an adult wolf - about this instead of avoiding it completely, however much or little she'd talked, said everything.

Yuki glanced away. "Normally, I'd probably be told that I'm being inappropriate, even just talking about such things, though I haven't _planned_ anything" she admitted, before slowly looking back. "But Souhei, I know you... I think you've had a few thoughts about the subject, as far as if you got into that situation."

Several seconds passed.

Souhei let out a breath, but he wasn't going anywhere. "Yeah, I have" he said, reaching over and taking her hand, gently rubbing at it. "Just in general, and as a what-if; no plans or anything. And even then, I've tried hard not to think that way, and avoid mentioning it for obvious reasons- I may want to be an adult, but there are limits."

Her cheeks stayed pink, but she smiled a little, a bit happier at what his hand's doing. "Me too" she whispered, returning the favor. "Yet now that it's been broached by my brother, it's still a possibility."

"Maybe, but way too early for specifics" he pointed out - inwardly, he's trying to adjust to this new knowledge. "What may/may not happen will be decided latter."

Yuki vigorously nodded her head, cheeks briefly turning redder, but soon faded back to pink.

Souhei added his other hand, holding both of theirs up. "Besides, my only plan right now is to be with you, Yuki" he added, more gentle but confident. "To just continue as normal, which I think is what you want too. Nothing to do with what-if thoughts, for either of us."

She slipped closer to him, grip tightening. "And keep it that way" Yuki breathed, a lot of different emotions showing, shyness one of them.

"Exactly. So we're agreed."

A little nod, then just as suddenly Yuki kissed him- Souhei returned it, and Yuki hugged him close. Smiling a little, he also returned that gesture, rubbing a hand down her back even as she let out a breath, staying that way for a time. It's kinda strange, how they brought this up and resolved things in less than two minutes, but even that had said a lot for them both... it's mostly unspoken, but he and Yuki felt a strong connection beyond their age. That and their more grown-up mindsets allowed them to think/discuss things most teenagers couldn't/wouldn't, even if not the full nuances and what-if's still a minefield to discuss...

"Part of me was afraid, that you might think badly of me for having those thoughts, Souhei" Yuki whispered. "I must've been out of my mind to even consider that."

"No, no you weren't, Yuki" he assured, gentle. "I had the same fear, which is why I kept myself away from the subject. Or well, maybe 'fear' isn't the word-"

She pulled back enough to look at him, smiling. "Even if it isn't, I'll take it" she breathed, really close to him-

-liking where this was headed, Souhei kissed her again.

...

Oh what a relief- I mean, she didn't think Souhei would look at her differently, but she'd been worried it'd be too soon to mention, even if just to bring up the subject like her brother had. But yet again Souhei's straightforward personality, combined with his wish to be as grown-up as possible, had made him uniquely suited to such a conversation even at fourteen.

 _"You're really something, Souhei"_ she thought.

After they pulled apart, Souhei touched her cheeks, having a little smile. "I couldn't think badly of you, Yuki" he said, entirely sincere. "I never have, and I'm never gonna."

"Mmh. I'm not sure anyone else could think like that" Yuki breathed, comforted by his presence. "Souhei, do you know what it's like? To live your life as a half-wolf, only to realize everyone is unknowing about this, and could even be fearful of it?"

As she talked his expression grew more serious, listening to every word - rather than answer the rhetorical question, he did so in a different way. "You said that you changed from a high-energy person, to who you are now" he breathed, hands moving to her shoulders. "Are you saying... going to school is what prompted that change?"

She slowly nodded. "Yeah. A lot of my habits back then were formed by my wolf side" Yuki admitted, seeing him slightly interested. "I mean... I did things like showing the other girls snakes I found, or bones I'd collected."

Souhei raised an eyebrow, but gave off a good-natured chuckle. "I half-wish I'd thought of doing such things. It could've been fun to see those reactions" he said, to her surprise. "In fact, if you'd done that to a few boys, you might've even gotten 'cool' reactions... if not from elementary school level kids, then at least a few years later."

"I- I don't know if I could've done that, Souhei, not after those first reactions."

"Well you can now, if you're still interested in snakes and bones."

Yuki slowly shook her head, unsure- those habits had been because of her wolf self, and she'd neglected that until recently. "Even if I wanted to, it still might reflect badly upon me, if anyone else found out" she admitted. "I mean, look at gender roles and stuff..."

Souhei pulled her close enough for a brief kiss, to her small sound. "Even if they're not gonna go away tomorrow, gender roles shouldn't be absolute" he said, to her jolt; he just smiled. "Personally? Sure, sometimes it might be necessary to give off appearances, yet I think we should be free to choose otherwise. I mean look at me; I'm a guy. By gender roles, I'm supposed to be tough all the time, not cry, do everything work-related, and a whole bunch of other things."

Her breathing got a little heavier, wondering that he thought that way.

He gently caressed her cheeks a little more, sending warmth through her. "Well, I don't know how tough I am, to be honest" Souhei continued, gentle. "I'm certainly not _that_ physically strong outside of stamina, though maybe mentally. And if I got sad for a good enough reason, I wouldn't be ashamed to cry, even in front of people."

"Oh, Souhei..."

"It's okay, Yuki" he added quickly, sincere. "You don't have to change how you feel. I'm just saying what I think, that's all - such as I'd feel bad if I did all the work stuff, and my hypothetical wife did all the family stuff. I'd rather it be more equal, if possible, because it's fair that way."

He may think that, but Souhei probably didn't know the effect he's having- she'd never thought of it that way before. And honestly she should've, because a half-wolf life is anything _but_ ordinary - mom was human, yet she barely cared about traditional gender roles; she'd always done the heavy stuff alongside dad, including working, and never once complained about it (she insisted in fact). But now, Yuki thought she finally got what dad was talking about, when she'd told him about her school issue years ago... he must've had such roles in mind. He hadn't directly told her to be herself (for several reasons), but in telling her to make choices for good reasons, he'd done just as well with minimal fuss.

It's a little late to change the past, and gender roles wouldn't change in a day as Souhei said, but now she had a somewhat-different view on things. Yuki felt that it's slightly late to learn this now, but better at fourteen then ten years later... mmh, she wasn't sure it would've changed anything when she was a kid, as she'd wanted to fit in, but she's glad everything happened as it did.

She leaned against Souhei, just holding him- he adjusted to this, not saying anything.

"You never did judge me" Yuki whispered. "But still, I think you really are more grown-up than me, Souhei. I was kinda clinging to my childhood decision, to be this perfect ladylike person, just wanting to grow up human and never be a wolf again... even though it's a part of me."

"And now you're thinking of adjusting it?" he asked, a little curious.

"Somewhat. I don't think I'll change too much... but you're right; I can bend the rules here and there. Mom and dad did the same because they had to, and I realize that much now. Ame's confronting it too, because no matter how much he wants to be a pure wolf, he'll always have human blood... as would any pups of his, who'd need his guidance in that way."

Souhei pulled them slightly apart, seeming interested. "Well if I can help in any way, don't be afraid to ask" he said, perfectly sincere.

Yuki smiled, nodding.

* * *

 **Somehow, even when I first changed the gender/age of the movie's timber wolf, I had thoughts about the consequences: even if Ame found a mate, a family pack would later try to find mates of their own down the line... which would be a problem, all things considered. Plus we did see the human-focus of raising such a family, but a wolf's?**

 **^Interesting possibilities, hehe**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _That night_

"I wish you could stay longer."

"Me too" Ame admitted after a moment; his sister moved in her hug, clinging to his fur. "But those mountains are where I belong, Yuki."

This time she didn't say a word.

Ame glanced away from her, seeing everyone else gathered on the stone porch - everyone except Silver, who was a short distance away and waiting for him. Souhei was respectful of course, if subtly looking at their sibling relationship - also near them, mom and dad observed with a lot of emotions, not all of them obvious, but still happy/content for him.

 _"It's- it's really something, Balto. The thought of being a grandmother, and still so young..."_

 _"Heh, that hasn't happened yet, Hana, though I can't deny the young part."_

Honestly; yes it's a possibility, but they didn't have to act like it's set in stone _right now_ , even as a tease... if they did the same with Yuki, he sympathized with her.

Yuki slowly disengaged from his fur; they shared a gaze, remembering back to their talk last night. He saw in her eyes a new confidence of sorts though, subtle and small yet quite telling- Ame glanced at Souhei, wondering if he's part of the reason why, but approving nonetheless.

"Take care, Ame."

"Mmh."

After that, with a little exaggerated slowness, Yuki moved away from him entirely- Ame then looked at Souhei.

"I think you know what I'm supposed to say" he said, completely mild.

Souhei had a little knowing smirk, closing his eyes. "'Take care of my sister, or I'll claw you to death'. Sometime like that anyway" he stated, quite mild.

"Exactly."

A little shared chuckle among them all.

Souhei briefly brushed his fingers against his right ear. "Yuki can take care of herself, definitely" he said, Yuki shifting with a little smile. "But I will anyway."

Ame inclined his head, then turned toward his parents - without a word, he stepped closer to them, and mom gently threaded her fingers through his fur. "Ame" she breathed, catching him in a hug; he wasn't surprised, and 'knowingly' indicated to dad that he better too, so he can get it over with- dad's smile was equally knowing, but didn't hesitate either.

After awhile, and so low that Yuki and Souhei couldn't hear: "Take care."

"Mmh, we will, Ame" mom whispered to him. "You two be careful as well."

Dad hummed. "He will" he said simply, equally gentle. "That's obvious, but we still expect howls while Yuki is here, Ame."

Ame smirked a little. "Fine, fine" he played off, though he'd planned on doing just that. "But by the way mom, dad" he said, still mild even as they let go. "Your little booklet, I left it inside."

"But why?" Yuki asked, a little confused even as everyone was surprised. "It could help you, Ame."

"No doubts there, but I'll come back and get it when pups are a reality. Not before" Ame answered, looking at his sister. "I think you'll probably be the same way, sis. Even if you keep it, you'll mostly use it when needed, when/if a family happens."

Yuki's cheeks turned pink, and Souhei shifted beside her, but she didn't dismiss his words.

"Despite any teasing we might get, that's a fact, Yuki" he continued, the first part aimed at mom and dad, who were slightly sheepish. "Besides, there are still things to add, before either of us take them for good."

"Like what?" dad wondered.

"Well, regarding how long half-wolves can go without food, particularly those who choose wolf. Normal wolves can go for two weeks at minimum, up to a month if lucky... but for me, I've carefully determined that I can last three months without difficulty, probably longer with difficulty."

As he spoke, dad gave him a sort-of disapproving glance, as if to say something about pushing himself that far- the life of a wolf didn't always go with a daily meal, but even still. Mom had similar thoughts, even stronger than dad for obvious reasons, and visibly had to remind herself that he's a wolf; sometimes it comes with the territory.

"Must be the human side of me, but I believe it's true for all half-wolves, though I've only confirmed those who choose wolf" Ame continued, not backing down; he'd been fine, and well-prepared with food stockpiles for when he even _started_ to feel weak, which he mentioned to them. "I dunno if the same applies for human half-wolves, if they can go a long time without food but a shorter time than regular humans."

"Let's hope we don't have to find out" dad said carefully, eyebrow raised. "And let's not have any further tests go that extreme, Ame."

"Yeah, Ame; we won't hear of it."

Heh- even as an adult, still trying to tell him what to do... kinda refreshing after so long, at least to be able to _hear it_ rather than actually follow. He shared a side-glance with Yuki, who despite some giggles returned it, sympathetic - she'd wanted to grow up in her own way, and obviously didn't have any desire to test his theory either, but by human law she's still a kid and having to live with that.

Good thing she has a boyfriend who's in the same boat.

"I never planned to, don't worry" Ame said easily. "I only tested it because I thought it'd be important, in case any hypothetical family asked... better I try while knowing what I'm doing, and making sure I could eat the moment I started to become weak, then to let others blindly try later."

Mom let out a sigh, truly exasperated. "Well that's better, Ame, but even still" she said, intentionally messing up his fur- despite himself, he pawed at it while the others tried (and failed) to hide little smiles.

"Relax mom, it was a one-time thing."

Maybe mom would've said something else, but dad put a hand on her shoulder - he was equally exasperated inside, but was understanding; with that, mom slowly smiled and let it go.

"Anyway" Ame muttered; this had gone on longer than he'd planned. "I'll see you all later."

Before they could say another word, he was already bounding away- by the time he got to where Silver was, she was already stretching, and soon joined up with him. Even after a good distance, he could feel the eyes of his family plus Souhei- they'd kinda made that a tradition, watching him and Silver go up to the mountains, once they were done back at that 'little' home.

/

Yuki slowly cradled her cup of hot chocolate, feeling a lot of things racing through her mind (if in the back)- from beside her, Souhei briefly/intentionally brushed his fingers against hers, taking a sip. She felt a little warmer, smiling before taking a sip herself... mmh, just as great as she remembered, and among that memory were the times she literally ran through this house...

"I kinda saw Ame talking with you mom, dad" she said, after a few seconds. "What did he say?"

Dad glanced at mom for a bit, then up. "Well... long-term stuff" he admitted, getting a little side-smile. "About potentially raising half-wolf pups, as a wolf rather than human."

Yuki felt her cheeks heat up; guess she and Ame had been thinking along the same lines. As an adult wolf, normally he should've dealt with this by himself, but his human side had sought help - even with them on opposite sides, it seems they truly are both; she's a wolf on the inside, and he's human on the inside, and vice-versa with their other selves.

"He'll do his best if nothing else; we all know that" Souhei ventured, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I'm guessing you helped on some details?"

Mom hummed, seeming content. "We did, along with some physical help planned for later" she answered, and when they were confused: "When-and-if wolf pups are a reality, me and Balto will have to buy ourselves some wolves, in secret of course."

Clearly mom had been planning that; her casual tone was practiced, and dad struggled to keep a straight face - the effect on her and Souhei was considerably more shocked. Somehow or other they didn't ask why, because the obvious answer lay in the fact that, well, a pack consisting of Ame, Silver, and pups wasn't exactly a diverse one... but that didn't take away the shock.

And she's pretty sure that wouldn't be easy, or cheap.

"Wow, that's crazy" Souhei said, before grinning. "I like it though, especially that this family is full of such surprises."

"Why does that make you happy, Souhei?" Yuki managed to ask, despite everything.

Without a word or look, he took her hand, which got a sound out of her. "In case you haven't noticed, Yuki" he said, teasing- she didn't notice, but mom and dad were subtly enjoying themselves watching. "I'm not against crazy or strange things. I think they're pretty cool in fact."

Her cheeks heated again, both at his playful hand motions, and memories of how he'd reacted to her wolf form. She struggled a bit, not helped by Souhei giving her a side-grin, and just didn't say anything.

"Anyway, I quite like the idea" Souhei continued, not surprised. "Plus I'm not surprised that Ame-"

He stopped, as did the rest of them... faint but unmistakable, Ame's howl echoed through the air, and it wasn't long before Silver joined in. They all listened: mom and dad with eyes closed, smiling and content; Souhei with considerable interest and a little smile; herself with a slow smile, just hearing the emotion in her brother's howling.

It lasted at least a minute, and no one minded.

Dad breathed out, humming, which he did in unison with mom- they shared a happy glance over that. "You were saying, Souhei?" he asked then.

Souhei brought his attention back, nodding and still holding her hand under the table, and Yuki had no wish to tell him otherwise now. "That I wasn't surprised about Ame, him talking about such things" he said, a little serious. "He's an adult by wolf standards. I almost wish I could talk about the same things - just talk, not plan - but I'm not an adult yet; it'd probably just sound weird."

"Well it's probably obvious, but you'll have to be patient about that, Souhei" mom said, to his nod. "Most people don't expect fourteen-year-olds to be that interested in heavy stuff, and it could worry some as well."

 _"Just like transforming into wolves"_ she thought, then shifted. "Well, I agree with Souhei" Yuki mumbled, just a little; Souhei gripped her hand tighter in response. "I wouldn't want to _plan_ anything, but just talking about the subject a little? That isn't too much to ask, right?"

"I don't think so, Yuki" her boyfriend said, half-drawing her attention. "But either way, even if we could talk about heavy stuff, it'd just be hypothetical talk."

"Mmh."

Dad raised an eyebrow, a gleam in his eyes. "Is that an implication I hear, you two?" he asked 'innocently', while mom almost snorted into her food, even suppressing giggles-

-they both jolted, and in particular turned redder. "Dad!" Yuki cried, embarrassed; she knew he's only teasing, but _that_ isn't fair! "Mom! Stop laughing!"

They weren't really, just shaking from suppressed chuckles/giggles, but it'd been an instinctive reaction on her part. Yuki slumped into her chair with a groan, feeling this is just like them, especially now that she's matured... moreso anyway- looking at Souhei only partially helped. He was a bit sympathetic to her 'distress', but at the same time he'd never really been embarrassed by his parents, so he's both interested in the situation and a little envious of it. Despite that though, when he noticed her looking at him, he gave a 'Sorry, what can I say?' look before touching his hand to her shoulder- she felt slightly better, all things considered.

Still, even with the embarrassment, it's at least good mom and dad aren't _against_ things.

...

 _Later_

Yuki turned in her bed-spread, just staring at the ceiling- she's supposed to be asleep, but her mind's racing.

She remembered back to when she'd decided to stay as a human full-time, and never be a wolf again... it seemed so simple back then, and now it's more gray-ish. She's admitted that even with her choice, she's still a wolf and that'd play it's part in the future, if/when things happened- but the fact is beyond the howling she shared with her brother, she's extremely rusty.

Glancing beside her, Souhei slept peacefully- Yuki remembered what he'd said, and what dad had taught her to do before... in fact, dad was the best person to go to for her wolf side too, since Ame's back where he belongs. Her hunting is rusty, and she'd probably need to relearn everything: learning how to utilize her wolf instincts while still maintaining her human appearance, such as hearing a good deal farther; even something as simple as emotional control, as while too much can still trigger the transformation, keeping it in check was the important thing.

If only she'd gotten the lessons sooner, then certain things could've been avoided... like how she reacted to Souhei not leaving her alone...

 _"But what then?"_ Yuki wondered, stirring. _"If I hadn't scratched his ear, would he have ever seen my wolf side? Would he still be interested in me as his friend, or girlfriend? Would he still want to...?"_

After a moment, she shook those thoughts off; she can't dwell on what-if's, especially since now is what she needs to focus upon. Learning might take some effort, but she'll be learning about how to be a half-wolf, while still remaining human- she's both excited and nervous.

She turned again, trying to empty her mind...

* * *

 _December 28th_

Wow, she never realized how much trial-and-error was involved with growing vegetables... growing up with it happening was one thing, and Yuki knew it took work, but even still. A small distance away, Souhei was helping in things like watering the plants, as dad had showcased, but she knew he's listening to every word- probably even thinking about if he might need the knowledge.

He always thought ahead that way, though he never assumed anything _would_ happen ahead of time.

"A little deeper, Yuki" dad breathed gently, digging his fingers into the dirt around each seed. "Got make sure they get deep enough for the soil nutrients."

"Mmh. If only you could grow the same things every time."

He chuckled a little. "It would be nice" dad admitted, looking at her. "But as farmers proved a long time ago, doing that just erodes the soil, and eventually it'll give way. But I don't think that's what's really on your mind, Yuki."

Yuki shook her head. "I am focused here, but- but there's just something I wanted to say dad" she breathed, seeing in her peripheral vision how Souhei paused, watching her.

"Oh?"

"When I asked mom about the booklets, about how you got the idea in the first place..." she whispered, trailing off.

Dad paused in the middle of work, slowly leaning back to a straighter sitting position- worried, Yuki glanced up, but to her relief his expression wasn't troubled. Overall he just looked like this was to-be-expected... he took in/let out a breath, and then dad looked at her evenly.

"Hana warned me you might mention that" he breathed, still gentle.

Yuki wasn't surprised after-the-fact, just slowly tapping her fingers. "I-I know it's been a long time, and mom has helped; I know that's probably what happened" she breathed, before managing a small smile. "But dad, even if I'm late, I just wanted you to know that-"

"-that you're here for me?" dad finished, dusting his hands off before he pulled her close. "I appreciate that, Yuki. And if I may presume, Souhei and Ame feel similarly, in their own ways?"

She slowly nodded, feeling his warmth the entire time; dad always seemed to radiate that a little, probably due to his internal fur. "Ame feels a deeper respect for you dad, though he tried not to remember back to- to before."

"I can understand that" he breathed, fainter, but then looked over. "Souhei?"

Souhei, who'd been trying to look/act busy, looked over. "The same, sir" he said evenly, not embarrassed to have been 'caught' listening. "I also told Yuki that I'd support her getting it out in the open, even if it was hard for you."

Dad quirked a normal smile. "'Hard' is a stretch, but even still" he answered, before looking at her. "And honestly, respect or support, that's all I can ask from either of you two" he continued gently. "But you're right in that Hana's helped throughout the years. But watching you and Ame be yourselves, as well as grow bigger and bigger- that helped more than I can state, Yuki."

...

Souhei watched even as Yuki responded to her dad's statement, saying she's glad he was so strong, just like mom - he smiled, truly liking how loving this family was, and how open they were about it. Ame was more of a lone wolf (literally even), but it's clear he cared about his family too- part of him still wondered about Silver though, and if soon or later she'd count as well.

Well maybe, but for now that's still 'just' a possibility.

"And dad?"

"Yes, Yuki?"

He quickly brought his attention back, seeing Yuki toying with a hair strand, knowing what she's about to ask isn't _exactly_ easy, but not hard either. _"Come on, Yuki. You can do it"_ Souhei mentally urged for her, smiling a little. _"You'll do great too."_

"Dad, can you teach me... well, how to manage my wolf instincts? Mostly when I'm human?"

Balto looked surprised, but soon smiled. "I'd be honored, Yuki" he said easily, drawing her into another hug. "And I assume Souhei's gonna be there for every second of it."

Souhei was slightly sheepish, but looked over. "Well, I'd like to help if I can."

"Well it's mostly gonna be for smaller things, but if you're willing-"

Yuki answered that first: "He is, dad" she breathed, giving a sideways glance with a little smile (Souhei returned it, if not sideways). "I knew that from the start."

/

 _Nighttime_

Yuki tried to focus, but didn't feel like she's succeeding much... every now and then, she thought she heard sounds from outside, but couldn't tell what they were or anything. Granted, it's literally the first day and this was probably just like wolf instincts, in that it'd take time and practice... but she wanted to get this quickly.

Even as she tried, she could feel her body reacting, trying to turn her from human to wolf in accordance with her instincts.

When she paused, taking in a breath: "Any luck?"

"Little, very little" Yuki breathed, looking at Souhei, who had paused in making his sleeping arrangement. "I can hear for a moment, but I can't process beyond that. And my instincts keep trying to turn me into a wolf, though thus far I'm being safe."

Souhei had a little smile. "That's a good place to start for anything" he admitted, before tilting his head. "Are you gonna do that all the time though, till we go back to school?"

She slowly shook her head. "Not really. Tomorrow, in the few days, I'll definitely have to be more 'wild'... while I still have that freedom to try."

A moment as he digested that, then a little smile came up. "Because out here, away from everyone but your family and me, you can be a wolf without having to worry about a thing" he gently realized. "But when back at the school dorms, there'll be plenty of room for safe exploration there, while still having my little help."

Yuki nodded, feeling warmer.

After that they entered a comfortable silence, setting up their sleeping arrangements - it still slightly embarrassed her that he's allowed to do this, even if they didn't push the boundaries _at all_. After a minute, they were both curled up, she on her side while Souhei was on his back... all she could hear was their breathing, while she didn't think mom and dad had left the living room yet...

"Yuki?"

"Hmm?" she breathed, eyes half-closed.

Souhei turned his head, expression gentle. "I definitely like it when you're a wolf" he whispered, to her little jolt. "Just as much as when you're human."

"Why's that? Is it just because I'm cute?"

"Well, there is that, but you should know why."

She did without another word; that day where he wouldn't leave her alone, and all the while her wolf instincts just kept building. Finally she'd snapped, swiping her claw against his ear in a rage - she never registered his expressions in that moment, just full of unadulterated instincts. "Souhei" Yuki whispered, pulling the sheets up a bit. "You can't tell me that... that you started to like me from _that_..."

Souhei took a moment, seeming to try and not let his ears heat up. "No, not right then" he admitted, faint if still gentle. "But I knew one thing from seeing you as a wolf, even for a split-second: you weren't one to be messed with, and not your average girl. I wanted to know more, and moreover I wanted to make up for my terrible behavior- so I stuck around, and latter I realized it was a little more than just interest. And when I had to reveal your secret, before you were ready..."

"You were afraid that you'd made another mistake" she realized. "Oh, Souhei."

"It's probably silly to think that, but it was a big thing; you should've been the one to say it, not me."

If she were able, she'd probably kiss him, but as it was, Yuki slipped her hand out and reached toward him. Souhei saw this after a moment, a bit surprised, yet his lip curved as he reached - they were only close enough to touch each other's fingers, but that was enough. She made sure to play with them for a little while, while her mind dwelt on her recent training; they couldn't stay here for longer than a few more days, and she'll have to learn almost entirely by herself soon. Before she truly drifted off, Yuki wondered if it'd take weeks, months, or even years... but it'll be okay: she's got time, and Souhei would be there for her to help.

She smiled a little.

* * *

 **Yuki starting to learn her wolf instincts, if as a beginning to prepare, while her parents have always had their teasing side. Thankfully, they're harmless :P**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

 **Rating:** T

 **A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy**

* * *

 _December 30th_

 _Forest_

Heh, all this running was quite a work-out - he's glad that his time on the basketball team had made him fit, particularly for this forest expedition. Souhei looked ahead, seeing Yuki and her dad running a good distance away, weaving through the trees and brush with ease- though admittedly, Balto did that far better, as Yuki was rusty.

The purpose of this being to reacquaint herself to her wolf instincts, what they felt like, and then to keep them in check through personal experience.

"I wouldn't mind if every day was this interesting" he said aloud, if slightly 'panting' to keep up with the two wolves. "Was it always like that before?"

Alongside him, Hana gave off a little laugh, even as they slowed to duck under some higher growths. "Well, not _every_ day; Yuki and Ame spent a lot of time at home, just playing as kids will do" she answered, with appropriate pauses and such due to this exercise. "Balto did teach them how to hunt, and I helped when I could, but they were never out here all the time, Souhei."

Mmh, he supposed that made sense; they were half-wolves after all, not full wolves, though he'd heard Yuki preferred her wolf side as a little girl. Much like her apparently-endless energy at that age, he had some difficulty imagining it, simply because she's so different now.

After about a minute, the two wolves slowed down, settling upon the top of this big hill - Souhei got up there first just by a second, and soon he was catching his breath. Besides Hana, Yuki and Balto were both panting as well, but they seemed to be considerably better about it... hmm, if he remembered correctly, that's because wolves naturally have excellent breath control.

He privately smiled; maybe he's just human, but he's still glad to know about this world.

"Yuki?" Balto breathed, looking at his daughter-

-who made a sound, sounding different than normal because of her wolf muzzle. "I- I'm trying to keep my instincts in check" she breathed, eyes closing, claws digging into the snow-covered ground. "But... it's still so tempting, the more time I spend as a wolf..."

A little surprised and curious, he looked up- what did she mean? Was there something about wolf instincts that made it harder to keep a human viewpoint?

Or something?

"That's how it seems to be, Yuki" Balto added gently, even as Hana came over to him, brushing her fingers through his fur with familiarity- there was a definite soft look in his eyes. "Balancing both isn't exactly easy at first, but you'll get it."

Souhei quickly moved over too, enough that Yuki could see him; he smiled. "I second that, Yuki" he said, bending down in front of her, "You'll get it. And if it helps, you can focus on talking to me."

Yuki moved in place, everything reflected in her eyes, and which he took to mean she's both shy and warmer at his support. "Thanks, Souhei" she breathed, glancing away for a time; were she human right now, she'd probably have fingered her hair strands as well, which was a cute gesture.

Teasing, Hana chose then to call over to them: "If you'd like, Yuki, you can change back now" she called over, slightly jolting them back to reality. Hana herself was just smiling big, even as Balto was glancing at her with amusement... Souhei just felt sheepish about this, even as he knew nothing's actually happening. "After all, Balto plans to have us all run back."

"It's 'walk', actually, Hana."

Even as they laughed, Yuki shared a little smile with him- it seemed like they're always like this, but sometimes it's embarrassing for her.

Much as he understood how she felt, Souhei relished that feeling, wishing he'd had a lot more of this at home.

"Anyway" Balto breathed, chuckling once. "It might do well for us to change back, Yuki" he continued, even as Hana started to dig into her pack-

-Yuki slowly nodded. "Do you want to go first, dad?"

"Sure."

Almost at the same time, he and Yuki turned 180-degrees, sitting down on the grass as they looked the other way- or rather, he sat down on a big rock, while Yuki more settled on her haunches. "Do you think it'll ever be understood?" he asked curiously, glancing at Yuki. "Why when you transform, the clothes sometimes disappear, and sometimes don't?"

While surprised, Yuki shook her head with a little smile. "I don't think so, Souhei" she admitted, softer. "I mean, it's almost like magic. If you hadn't seen me as I was, would you have believed that I could be a half-wolf?"

"Heh. Fair point."

Today had certainly seemed like a 'doesn't disappear' day, if that's how it worked, though he wasn't sure- when Yuki and her father transformed today, their clothes had stayed on their wolf bodies. And so Hana had stuffed them away, and Balto made sure they got the most of their time spent as wolves, leading all the way up to right now, where they're transform back completely naked... hence the privacy and stuff.

After a little: "Okay, Yuki. I'm decent."

After that, Yuki moved away from him, but Souhei didn't move an inch; don't want to intrude on her getting dressed. Still, Souhei smiled a little as he noted that he wasn't the slightest bit tempted to imagine that situation, or peep - not only because it's inappropriate, but because he had no desire to see her that way.

 _"Guess that makes me a cut above most guys"_ he mentally noted, inwardly chuckling. _"Just a little anyway."_

...

 _Home_

"Just remember Yuki; it's how you keep yourself calm, no matter what. Not like normal though, and it takes some practice."

"Well, I'll do what I can dad, thank you."

From nearby, Souhei did his best on what he's doing- still, whatever helps Yuki is fine by him. Meanwhile, he still has to pack for the long-ish trip back - hmm, he wondered if Shino and the others would tease Yuki, about if they shared anything 'special' on this trip home.

Wouldn't be serious, but far more right than they'd know... still, he'd have to tell them to knock it off.

Soon enough, Yuki came over to stand beside him, where he's working to pack things up. "Looks you're getting a head-start, Souhei" she noted gently.

He just smiled a bit. "Well, we have to go back to school and everything" Souhei answered, before looking up at her. "But I admit, I'm actually preparing for how I'm gonna answer Shino and everyone."

"Hmm?"

"Well, they might ask us about if anything special happened" he said, before giving a sheepish grin, hand behind his head. "It did in a way, but I can't very well tell them the truth."

Yuki fidgeted a bit, cheeks turning pink- but she wasn't embarrassed or anything, and smiled. "Well even if you can't, I'm still glad for it, Souhei" she breathed, settling on her knees and start packing for herself. "Plus I know you'll help me however I need it, particularly when I'm trying to keep my instincts under control."

"Sure thing" Souhei agreed, putting away a book. "But as far as Shino and the others, I think I'll tell them we got closer. It's vague enough to be the truth, yet they'll fill-in-the-blanks."

A little glance, before she made a sound. "That sounds good, but if they start thinking we've been inappropriate-"

"I should tell them we _have been_?" he finished, before chuckling as she squeaked. "Not a chance, Yuki."

"S-Souhei!"

"I know; not what you were gonna say. Plus I wasn't gonna 'admit' that anyway."

Yuki slowly slumped with exasperation, focused on packing for a few seconds. "Somehow I knew that too, but you always say weird things" she admitted, before managing a small smile. "I still dunno why that entertains you so much."

Souhei gave a little smile. "Well, probably because it makes life interesting" he admitted, gentle yet fainter; Yuki paused, looking at him. "People will deal with anything they expect, but it's always the unexpected that gets the best reactions out of people. And as I said before, I like it when things are interesting; who knows what surprises might come your way?"

After a moment, Yuki started to reach for his hand, where she intertwined their fingers together-

-he returned the favor, squeezing back.

"Like you said, Yuki" he breathed. "I wouldn't have imagined you were half-wolf years ago, yet now that's real, and it's who you are."

For a little, just before she leaned closer, he thought he saw a brief sparkle in her eyes- then of course, he returned the kiss as gently as she did. After a few seconds, they pulled back (and unconsciously began to continue packing), and Yuki moved a bit closer to him.

"Well, don't stop being yourself either, Souhei" she whispered back, soft. "Including when I continue honing my wolf instincts."

"Sure thing."

* * *

 _December 31th_

Being up this early made him a little groggy, but luckily it's something he can adjust to- particularly since helping pack everything into the car was waking them up. Even now, Souhei made sure to lean his stuff upright so it wouldn't fall over, while beside him Yuki was doing the same thing... however, she seemed distracted, as she kept glancing off into the distance.

Following that direction, he noticed the curve of the 'nearby' mountains, and all the lush wilderness that encircled them-

-thinking of her brother no doubt, waiting for some sort of farewell howl.

A little smile, even as he noticed that Yuki's parents were similarly 'distracted', still packing themselves; none of them wanted to miss it. He didn't either, but he knew that when it came, they'd all stop what they're doing - still, he said nothing about it in understanding. Instead, he thought back to yesterday, how throughout the day Yuki had been focusing on her wolf instincts, both via the running in the forest and the more gradual bursts back at home, including at night. Perhaps he couldn't see much of the process, or even that there's much of a change - in general, or because it's early - but he always tried to be supportive, but without going overboard about it.

Mmh, a little more adjustment annnnd- there, securely packed.

 _ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Soon as their ears heard, everyone stopped, turning toward the mountain- feeling warmer, Souhei gently took Yuki's hand. She only glanced at him for a little, but her smile showed she definitely didn't mind, eyes closing and free hand near her heart.

He didn't need to look to know her parents were doing essentially the same.

 _"Ame, I'll definitely take care of Yuki"_ he thought, eyes closed himself. _"Even though she can do that herself, I'll be there for her regardless."_

Seconds passed, the last bits of Ame's howl echoed through the wind, until only the latter remained- still, they were all smiles down there.

"Ame, I'll do my best" Yuki breathed, only loud enough that he could hear. "Hope all goes well for you too."

Souhei didn't answer, knowing it's a personal comment, but he did squeeze Yuki's hand to show his support- she squeezed back without looking.

...

 _Somewhat later_

On the road now, they did their best to talk throughout the trip, with the current topic being about the booklet's knowledge; he had a few curious questions.

"There's something I'd like to know, sir."

Seated in the side-passenger seat, Balto had himself half-turned to look at him. "Yes, Souhei?"

"In the booklet, it's said that after a certain age, people choose which side they want to be: human, or wolf" Souhei said. "But what happens when they're older? Do they always stay with that one side? After all, if later they had kids, they'd at least have to be in touch with both for the kids' sake, even with a partner. Or something like that, right?"

"You know, I've actually been curious about that myself" Hana breathed, humming a little as she drove. "You should answer, dear."

A little twitch of his mouth, if smiling as he chuckled. "Well, I'm not exactly sure, so keep that in mind" Balto said, slightly mild. "And it doesn't help that if others knew this, it seems to have been lost overtime."

Lost overtime, mmh- well, Souhei supposed that made sense, given that there seemed to be very half-wolves _period_.

"Still from what impressions I get from my instincts, and from parental experience now too, it varies to a degree. A lot would choose one side, particularly those that choose to remain alone, but if the half-wolf managed to find a mate who accepts them, human or wolf... then I might start to balance out" Balto continued, tone wistful. "At that point, they can be themselves, no matter which way they skew. And if children are involved- yeah, I believe it's as you said, Souhei; they gradually use both as needed, perhaps even permanently so, because their kids' needs are above their own."

Then the older guy got a sheepish edge. "Though, those who choose to be both from the start- that seems quite rare" he admitted-

-Hana laughed, but enjoying things. "Well, guess I got really lucky then" she teased, leaving Balto to rub his head, chuckling.

Souhei did smile, but he looked over at Yuki, who's fingers were moving on her lap- she glanced at him, smiling at little in return. They didn't say anything at first, but they seemed to be thinking the same thing: what her father had described, is almost exactly what she and Ame are starting to go through right now.

And he called it 'experience', hehe, hoping that he's right.

He let that moment go on a little, before chuckling. "I've probably said this before, but this is what I always imagined a family to be like" he admitted, slightly teasing. "Full of smiles, laughter, teases- it's just great."

"It comes with downsides too" Yuki breathed, if with a small grin. "Such as constant embarrassment. Eventually you'll get tired of hearing that from my parents."

"Oh really? Are you saying that on that day, you'll gloat over it?"

"Maybe I will, Souhei."

By that point, he could barely suppress chuckles- though unnoticed by him/Yuki, her parents were similarly 'affected' in front. "Well, it's not the worst thing to deal with" Souhei said easily, grinning. "Besides Yuki, it makes things interesting; you know how I am about that."

Yuki knowingly shook her head, making a sound. "You could at least pretend that you'd get tired of being teased" she said, slightly mild. "But you're always straightforward anyway."

To that, he just moved a hand down her arm, going onto her own hand - this time it seemed to be expected, though some hesitation remained as she returned the favor.

Well, that's not a problem; it's cute.

"Speaking of being teased" Balto spoke, a little knowing. "Does that mean you're tired of mine, Yuki?"

Still holding his hand, Yuki made a sound but shook her head. "For the most part, dad, not really" she admitted, before her expression turned a bit more pouting. "Teases like that one at dinner though, _that's_ another matter."

From his view on the sidelines, Souhei saw her father trying to hide a grin, and Hana seemed to shake a little- he inwardly smirked a bit.

"I didn't mean anything by it, not really" Balto said, mild himself. "But even then, teasing and embarrassment are kinda part of the parental job description."

"Your father's got you there, Yuki."

"Mom, don't take his side right now" Yuki 'protested' a little, but struggling not to crack a smile. "That wasn't funny!"

Even Souhei was having trouble now, trying to hold in laughter but losing- by the time he cracked, everyone else save Yuki had too. Thankfully though, Yuki's expression showed that she'd just been playing things up, and soon began laughing with them-

-which got her to hold both his hands; bonus.

/

 _School grounds_

It seemed his imagination, but the winter wind seemed crisper than it was earlier - still, Souhei took in a breath, making sure to enjoy it while they're outside. A small distance away, Yuki was being hugged by both her parents, which still made him smile; he'd already said his goodbyes, but he's glad to see her enjoying this time with her family, even after all these years.

He did feel a little envious about it, but wouldn't let that sour things; that's the last thing either of them needed.

"Be good, Yuki" - "You'll do great, and just keep working at it."

"Mmh" Yuki breathed, stepping back a little. "I will mom, dad. Plus I have Souhei to help me."

A glance or two in his direction; he pretended not to notice, so as to not intrude on the moment hehe. After that, Yuki said for them to take care, and then after a moment or two, her parents had walked out of his peripheral vision... mmh, part of him wished they could've stayed at the country home longer, but it was a bit unreasonable to expect that.

When he came back to himself: "Well, about time we return to our dorms and unpack" Yuki said to him, with a little smile.

Souhei returned it. "Sure thing" he said easily, the two of them gathering their stuff. "But after that? Will you find Shino and plan that after-Christmas party you were talking about?"

"Well probably at some point, but I'll have to find her first."

"And saying anything about our time being special?"

A small pause, probably from surprise. "It won't be the first thing, but it won't be the last either, Souhei" Yuki told him, slightly teasing- he chuckled.

"Cool" he said, still with ease, though with some effort not to let his ears heat up. "Still, I feel there's something I have to tell you, Yuki. But if it's too forward, I'll take it back."

Really surprised now, Yuki actually stopped, leaving him to follow her example- she seemed a bit wondering. "Umm, okay" she breathed, "What is it?"

Mmh... Souhei faced her, a bit intent as he steeled himself, just a little. "I luve you."

In that split-second, Yuki blinked, followed by her breath hitching and her cheeks turning redder.

"L-U-V-E" he added, having planned that much; didn't want any misunderstandings. "Way less intense than the usual spelling, or so I've read."

To say Yuki's flustered was putting it mildly, as clearly her initial reaction had heard the _other_ meaning, even as she registered that that's not what he meant. For a time, she wouldn't even look at him, one hand grasping her hair strands and several sounds escaping... finally: "You scared me" Yuki breathed, trying-and-failing to sound cross.

"Well, don't think I intentionally wanted to scare you" Souhei said, but gentle - he's not surprised she's expressing things that way. "I'm not that mean; that's just the only way I could say it."

"Mmh... I..."

When several seconds passed, he let out a breath, if not moving from where he stood. "I realize we've only been officially dating two weeks, but as you said, we've felt this way for- for awhile" he said, heart beating faster, but trying to remain firm. "Even then, we've known each other for about four years now, and- (he quickly glanced around) and I'm the only one besides your family to know about you, Yuki. That's what made me think it might be a good time to say it, even if it's not as strong as- as _actual_ love."

About halfway through, Yuki finally turned around- her cheeks were still red, but overall okay- she just listened.

Once he finished: "Well, umm" Yuki managed, just a whisper, "S-Souhei?"

"Yeah?"

Her mouth twisted a little, but then Yuki stepped closer, taking his hand- Souhei glanced at this, but glad for it. Her eyes almost seemed to be shining, but in a way he couldn't place... still, he was distracted when her other hand touched his cheek, feeling her warm breath against his mouth.

In a good way, particularly when she kissed him.

"I- I'm glad you feel that way" Yuki whispered against him. "Don't mistake that. It just... really surprised me."

Any worry he had pretty much vanished then, and he softly moved his hands over her back a little. "Understandable" he whispered, gentle. "Do you- do you feel the same way? Or want me to take it back?"

"Mmh- no, I don't want you to take it back. I-I luve you too."

In answer, Souhei kissed her with some relief, which she didn't mind at all- her cheeks were still reddish when he pulled away, and too late he realized his own ears were red. Still, the moment Yuki realized this, she soon 'shook' with suppressed giggles, hand near her mouth and everything- heh, he should've felt miffed, but couldn't bring himself to.

After all, the warm enjoyment was all worth it.

"I'm glad" Souhei breathed, not too off. "Really. Still, uh- uh, do you want to tell Shino and the other girls? Or wait a bit?"

Thanks to his little moment, Yuki's cheeks stayed a bit red, where her mouth moved a bit. "I'll- I'll tell them everything else, for sure, but... I'm not sure yet, Souhei" she admitted. "I'm still embarrassed right now, after all."

"Mmh, me too. Alright" he said, managing a little smile. "Just don't forget everything else."

That got him a small tap, but it did the trick, managing to ease her back to normal just a little. "Come on" she breathed, picking up her stuff again - he soon did the same, following behind her.

But even if Yuki didn't immediately tell the other girls, if they 'assumed' things, it was gonna be interesting either way.

* * *

 **Well, Souhei is straightforward; kinda figures he'd be the first to say 'luve', which is a real thing XD Still, they've got a long way to go, so this ending will have to do for their 'initial' relationship - the official one anyway, since they have known each other awhile before that**


End file.
